Battle of the Four Gods
by Windborn
Summary: When a lonely young woman wishes on a falling star, the Universe of the Four Gods takes her plea to heart. But she isn't the only newcommer. The world is in danger, and all four gods are needed to save it. If they can stop fighting each other. Please RR!
1. Lost

Battle of the Four Gods

_Added 6-13-05_

_Greetings folks. Well, this first chapter was pretty…not bad exactly, but not good either. So I've decided to do a rewrite. This was the only one that just felt wrong to me – probably because I wrote it about two years before finally starting the second chapter. So, I hope it's much better now! Enjoy, and please read and review! I don't write to get reviews, but it's difficult to fix things without some feedback. Besides what's the sense of going through the business of posting them if no one's going to read them:grin: I might as well just leave them on my computer and save myself the grief of fighting with the internet! Thanks bunches. :hugs:_

_-Windborn (formerly Elwing Silme)

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_

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yugi. Not one little bit of it…not even a particular monk whose picture graces my computer screen. Alas!

Notes: I know, I know, yet another "girl falls into the Universe of the Four Gods." I couldn't help it! I bow helpless before the whims of my dear muse. :laughs: Or at any rate, the story struck, and I couldn't help but write it down. Stick with me, please – I enjoy taking over-used plot ideas and freshening them up a bit. And one quick warning, just to prepare you in advance – the names I use for the countries and things are a combination of the names used in the English translation of the manga (ie: Hong-Nan, Qu-Dong), and those from the anime series (shinzaho, etc.). Why? Mostly, I prefer the Chinese versions of the names, but a few (like shentso-pao) aggravate me. So don't be too confused. Anyway! That's enough notes, don't you think? Have fun!

Chapter 1: Lost

Riana laid her sleeping bag on the ground, tossed her pillow down, and flopped on top of them. Staring up at the sky, she waited for her friends to get themselves situated. A shooting star streaked across the sky. "Hurry up, guys, you're missing it!"

"We missed _one_ Ria – there'll be more," yawned Krystin. "Geez, you're like a little kid sometimes."

"Only when it comes to nature," Brook laughed in Riana's defense, winking at her. Riana smiled.

"And books, and anime, and language, and whatever else decides to strike her fancy for the moment," countered Siene, the eldest of the four of them. Ria was the next eldest, followed by the reluctant Krystin, and then Brook.

"I can't believe I let you guys convince me to sleep on the ground," Krys moaned, huddled in her sleeping bag. She was too miserable to enjoy the spectacular sight above her.

Brook had just about had enough. "Quit whining, will you? You didn't have to come, you know. You could have stayed at home, and had we known all you'd do was complain, we'd probably have insisted you did."

Siene rolled her eyes and grinned at Riana. Had anyone ever asked them who their best friend was, Siene would have said Krystin, and Riana would have insisted she was closest to Brook. However, Riana and Siene shared a very strong bond, and could tell each other things that they couldn't say to their "best friends."

"Listen to the children bicker!"

Ria, who was only a few days older than Krystin, laughed. It was their private joke, being the two eldest. "Let them work it out on their own. It'll be good for them." Siene had a bad habit of always intervening when Brook and Krys got going.

Brook's family had brought Riana here for every meteor shower in the past six years. This summer, Ria had gotten the bright idea that the four of them should go together this time. Siene had readily agreed, but Krystin wasn't very fond of the outdoors. It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to come along. However, this particular shower was supposed to be incredibly good, and the other girls wouldn't let her back out. When she and Brook finally stopped arguing, Krys fell right to sleep.

Riana heard the other two drop off soon after, and soon Brook was snoring peacefully. She smiled, knowing that it would be some time before she too was asleep. Eyes shining in the darkness, she stared upward and sighed. These rare moments of utter peace were the times she lived for, when she could forget that other people existed at all. As close as she was to her friends, Ria couldn't escape the feeling of being shut out sometimes. Something about her was different, secluded, isolated. She drank in the stillness until it lulled her to the verge of oblivion. Just as her eyes fluttered shut, a magnificent shooting star cut across the sky, leaving a trail of flame in its wake.

_Whenever you see a shooting star, Ria,_ her mother had told her when she was little_, always make a wish. Shooting stars carry messages straight to Heaven, and the gods will answer one wish from every star._ She had died six years ago, when Ria was thirteen. A terrible car accident had in one fiery instant wrested from her the only person who ever really understood her.

Remembering her words, Riana closed her eyes. _I wish…Oh, I wish – I wish I didn't feel so alone…

* * *

_

The sun streamed through her eyelids, disrupting her sleep. Riana reached out to pull her sleeping bag over her eyes. It was too early to get up! Her hand encountered only brittle grass. Frowning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Had she rolled off her bag again? Heaven knew it had happened before. Blinking she looked around.

Her sleeping bag was nowhere to be found.

What's more, neither were her friends, the clearing, or the forest they had been in the middle of. Ria sat on a grassy plain that stretched as far as she could see, broken only by a few random clumps of trees like the one to her right, which had kept her in the shade until now. She stared about her, completely at a loss.

"I've got to be dreaming. Where the heck am I?" For a while she was too shocked to even move. Finally, deciding that if this was a dream it would do no harm to explore, she got up and started walking. If it wasn't a dream, she needed to find someplace to get water. Having a purpose, she headed towards a cut in the plain that looked like it might contain a stream.

_Damn, distances are deceptive on flat terrain_, she thought upon finally reaching the stream after what felt like forever. She scrambled down the bank and stood in the water, letting it run over her sore feet. The grass was dry and hard, and she didn't have any shoes, since she had arrived in this place in only her pajamas. Stepping back up on the bank, she knelt and took a long drink. "Boy, I really hope this water's not polluted or anything," she muttered when she came up for air.

Standing, she turned away from the stream to examine her surrounding again, and found herself face-to-face with a bearded, middle-aged man in strange robes. There was a gleam in his eyes that frightened her.

"Well, well. What have we here?" He licked his lips. "Now what would a pretty girl like you be doing out in the middle of nowhere? It's dangerous for ladies to travel alone." He slowly advanced on her.

"Um, yeah, I'm aware of that," she stammered. "Ah, actually, I was just now heading to, um, rejoin my group." She started to back away. "Thanks for the advice."

Ria stumbled over a rock and slid down the bank again. He leapt after her, but his momentum carried him past her and into the water. She quickly regained her footing and dashed off, following along beside the stream. Realizing the stranger was gaining on her, she momentarily turned her concentration inward. When she again focused on the path ahead of her, she shot forward with an extra burst of speed. It was a technique she often used in track to heighten her abilities.

"What the hell! Get back here you little bitch!"

Riana followed the stream until it narrowed slightly, and then leapt across to the opposite bank. When she hit the ground, she dashed off and took a course perpendicular to the streambed. By the time her pursuer scrambled down the bank, crossed the stream, and climbed up the other side, she was out of reach.

Knowing the man would still be able to see her, and thus follow her, for quite some distance yet, she continued to run for as long as she could. Her feet were killing her! Soon, she began to catch glimpses of houses ahead of her, realizing at last that she approached a small village. She stumbled onto the dirt track that led into the village proper and fetched up against the door of the first house she came to.

"Oh, god, help me!" she gasped, pounding on the door. "Please–" The door flew open, revealing a woman in a very oddly cut dress.

"What's going on, here?" she scolded. "Who are you?"

Ria nearly wept with relief that someone was home. "Oh, please ma'am, you've got to help me! Some man is chasing me – I don't even want to think about what he'll do if he catches up with me! And I don't know where I am, or how I got here. I'm completely lost, with no food, no money to buy it and–"

The woman raised a hand to stop Riana's explanation. "Easy there, child. One thing at a time, now. Here, come inside – I'll get you something to eat and you can tell me your story at a more sedate pace." She held the door wide for her odd visitor.

"Thank you so much!" Ria sighed, unable to believe her good fortune. "I don't mean to intrude upon your hospitality, but…" The single step to enter the house took the last of her strength, and she fainted on the woman's doorstep.

"I think she's starting to wake up. Bi-Jun, heat some soup please."

"Yes, mother."

Riana slowly blinked awake, raising one hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight. Looking around, she discovered that she was lying on a straw mattress in a strange hut. A woman sat on a stool beside the bed, watching her carefully, worry etched into the lines of her face. In the far corner of the room a young man stood stirring the contents of a pot that was heating over a stone oven. Though modest, the house was large enough to have several rooms, Ria noted by the curtained-off doorways in two of the walls.

_If I keep waking up in a different place every time I go to sleep, I'm just going to have to stop sleeping!_ she admonished herself. "Wha-"

"Hush, child," the woman scolded. "Just rest. I don't know what you were doing before you got here, but you apparently wore yourself out quite badly."

"What I was doing?" She couldn't remember. For a moment she simply lay frowning at the ceiling, trying to remember how she had come to this place. "I don't-"

"You said something about someone chasing you?" the woman prompted.

_That's right_, Ria thought._ I woke up in a field, and some guy started chasing me. I ran until I got…here. Wherever here is. _"Yes, that's right. I remember now. He frightened me. I thought he might…" She couldn't even bring herself to say it. Sitting up, she pulled the blankets tightly around her, shivering at the thought.

Folding her hands in her lap, the woman scowled. "It's such a shame that young girls cannot even wander the fields alone for fear of the ruffians. Few undefiled women are left even in this little village, where we are so careful of our daughters. You were fortunate to escape unharmed." Her expression softened, but the look in her brown eyes said plainly that whatever she asked next, Ria had better answer. "Where do you come from, child, that your family would let you wander alone? It must be very distant, for your clothes are unfamiliar to me. I would recognize any garments belonging to one of the four kingdoms, for I was a seamstress in the capital in my youth."

Startled, Riana took a moment to study the woman's dress before answering. It was true – though the material was simple and coarse, the stitching was very fine. _Not that I'd be a good judge, but it's better than any sewing machine I've ever seen could do!_ There were also, as one could see with a closer look, tiny patterns stitched into the material in a thread of the same color. She would have loved to see something formal made by this woman's skilled hands.

"I'm from…far away." Helplessly, she spread her hands before her. "Forgive me – I don't even know where here is, so I can't exactly explain where I came from."

The woman stood as her son approached with a bowl of hot soup, allowing him to place it on the stool she had just vacated. "Well now, that is easily remedied! You are in the village of Jiesho near the southern border of the kingdom of Qu-Dong."

The blood drained from Riana's face as she felt herself go cold. Images swam through her memory, creating a cacophony of inseparable pictures in her mind. _Qu-Dong! Those "Four Kingdoms" she mentioned must be… How did I get here? The Universe of the Four Gods…is it even a real text? Have I wound up inside Fushigi Yûgi? It's just a story! Or is this some other time, in the same world? And I'm in Qu-Dong…would that mean…that I'm-_

The woman patted her on the knee. "Easy, child! Whatever is the matter? Are you ill?"

"I'm in…Qu-Dong?" She choked.

"Yes. Are you alright?"

"I-" _I have to think of a reason to get out of this country. I cannot stay here and risk being found by the Seiryu… _"Yes, I'll be okay. It's just – my father traveled a great deal when he was younger, and he told me about this kingdom. He said…" she trailed off, trying to think. Riana had never been a very good liar, much less on the spot like this. _Gods help me!_ "He said he made some powerful enemies during his time here, who threatened to kill any of his kin that set foot in this land. One of them was some sort of wizard or shaman or something, and keyed into my family's common life force so he could track us if we stepped inside Qu-Dong's border." Ria started shaking very convincingly – she didn't have to feign fear. The young man's eyes had narrowed slightly during her explanation. It was plain that he didn't quite believe her.

His mother, on the other hand, was totally convinced. "Oh, you poor dear! How on earth did you manage to come here, then? You should have been more careful." She smiled. "Don't worry, no harm will come to you while you're here, and we'll try to get you out of the country as soon as possible. Hong-Nan is not far, though why anyone would want to go there… Now you just eat up." Her son looked ready to protest, but instead merely bit his lip and walked out.

"I'm sorry if I upset your son." Ria commented, watching him leave.

The woman smiled, following her gaze. "He's still young, and has a tendency to be rather temperamental."

_Young? He looks older than I do!_ "How old is he?" He was not that bad looking, either…

"Bi-Jun is going to be sixteen in a few weeks."

Riana thought her eyes would pop out of her head. "He's only fifteen? My word, he looks older!"

Nodding sadly, the woman replied, "Yes, he does. His father died four years ago, and ever since he's felt he needed to act like the man in the family. My daughter's husband helped us for a while, but they have three children of their own now, so Bi-Jun takes a great deal onto his own shoulders." She smiled slyly. "He spends a great deal of time alone, and pays little attention to the girls in town. It's a pity you can't stay."

Taking a sip of her soup, Ria thought about how best to answer without being offensive. "Forgive me, but even if I could stay, I doubt there would be much I could do to help." She smiled. "I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Riana. I apologize for bothering your family…"

"No, no, that's quite alright," she waved the girl's apology aside. "It's no trouble. You may call me Leng-Si." She turned and started to busy herself with cleaning up what looked to be the dinner dishes. "You just eat up and rest a bit. We'll worry about what to do with you tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay, and thank you." Ria finished her soup rather quickly, set the bowl back on the stool, and lay down again. _Dear lord, what am I going to do now? _she thought. _I have to somehow find out if this is the same era as when Miaka called Suzaku. If it is, I should be okay, though I have no clue how I'm supposed to get home… _Violently shoving that thought into the back of her mind, Ria continued to deliberate on the best course of action. _If this isn't the same time… Hmm. That could be trickier. Obviously I cannot let the Seiryu find me. _She wiped a hand across her forehead. _Damn! I can't be the Seiryu no Miko…I won't let it happen. The Suzaku Seishi were willing to harbor Yui – maybe they'd protect me, too. If they're even alive in this time._ With this hope firmly entrenched in her heart, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

When Riana woke the next morning, the first thing she noted was that her surroundings were the same as those she had fallen asleep in.

"Well, good morning, Miss Riana!" exclaimed a vaguely familiar voice, pulling her the rest of the way out of sleep. "How do you feel now that you have slept? Better?"

She sat up and smiled at Leng-Si. "Yes, much. Thank you." Noting the odd cloth bundles the woman held in her arms she added, "What's this?"

"Oh, just some clothes Bi-Jun recently outgrew. Nothing of my daughter's is left here, but these should fit you well enough," she said, grinning. "You will have to keep out of sight, though, for it's a punishable offense for a woman to impersonate a man in this country." She laid several pairs of thick stockings on the bed and held out three outfits for Ria to try on. One was black with blue and white trim, another green with pale gold, and the third was brown, edged in violet and red.

"This land has strange customs," Ria commented, slipping into the first. "It's going to take a while for me to get used to this."

"Oh, you'll manage. Now turn 'round." Leng-Si carefully eyed the fit of the garments. They were a bit loose across the shoulders, tight in the chest, but other than that the fit was nearly perfect. "There! That's not so bad. If this one fits then the others should be all right as well. How does it feel?"

Ria stretched and twisted, testing the give of the fabric. "It's just a bit uncomfortable in the chest, but-" Leng-Si's comment about impersonating a man had given her an idea of how to get out of the country without much trouble. She smiled. "I know how to fix that."

Clearly not understanding, Leng-Si nodded. "Alright then, I'll leave that to you." Pointing to the foot of the bed, she added, "There are several pairs of boots you may try on, as well. Bi-Jun's feet grew so fast that they're still in good condition." She walked over to the stove. "Now, where is he? I need some water for breakfast."

Ria went around the bed and looked over the shoes. "You have a well?" she asked, pulling on a pair of the socks. When the woman nodded, she added, "If you tell me where it is, I can get it for you. There's no way I can repay your kindness. This is the least I can do." The smallest pair of boots was a bit too tight, which surprised her; she had small feet. Fortunately the next larger pair was a reasonable fit, with the socks.

"That's very sweet of you dear, but you don't have to repay us at all. There's a well that the entire village shares just a short way from here, between this house and the next. The bucket is just outside the door." She pointed Ria in the right direction, and, with an impish grin, Ria headed out.

Catching up the bucket, she strolled amiably out into the yard. It was as beautiful a day as she had seen in a long time – the sun shone warm and bright out of a clear sky, empty of everything but birds. Combined with the quaintness of the village, it was a very picturesque scene. Every house was built simply of planks of wood, roofed with thatch, and scattered among them were trees heavy with foliage.

She walked over to the well, set Leng-Si's bucket beside it, and dropped the well-bucket down, watching the rope uncoil as it fell. It hit the water with a muffled splash, and she carefully reeled it back up.

"Why are you taking advantage of my mother's kindness?"

Riana jumped, nearly dropping the bucket back down the well. "Bi-Jun!" she exclaimed, turning to face him, "don't creep up on me like that! What do you mean, take advantage of her?" She emptied the bucket into the one she'd brought, then straightened, staring at him.

"You're not what you say you are." He held up a hand to stall her protests, and looked at her steadily for a few moments. She was shorter than he, though he guessed she was older, and her delicate frame leant a feminine elegance even to his old clothes. Her long, golden hair fell in bright waves to the small of her back. Though undeniably feminine, there was something in her manner that suggested an inner strength. He sighed, bewildered.

"How would someone from such a distant land as you say you come from be able to speak our language so well? Your accent is a little strange, but otherwise… And why would you travel barefoot? You look like little more than a child, yet you are alone. I don't doubt that someone threatened you, or that you have enemies in Qu-Dong, but somehow your story just doesn't make sense."

For a long moment, Riana was silent, then picked up the bucket and headed back toward the house.

Bu-Jun was furious and being ignored. "Hey! How dare you just walk away? Do you think I intend to let you keep this ruse up? Get back here! We're not finished."

"No, we aren't."

"Huh?" he replied, taken aback.

"Calm down." Ria paused and looked back at him. "I'm trying to think of how best to answer you. Let me take this water to your mother, then I'll come back out here and tell you what I can."

He stared, watching her walk back to his home, amazed at her composure in the face of his fierce accusations. Thoughtful, he followed.

Ria pushed open the thin wooden door. "Here's the water, Leng-Si."

The woman looked up from the vegetables she was slicing, pushing aside a lock of graying hair that had refused to be restrained by her kerchief. "Thank you, child. Just set it there by the stove." She watched the young woman cross the room, moving like a gentle breeze. Despite her young appearance, Riana did not move or act like a child – it seemed she was older than she looked. "It's a pity I have none of my daughter's gowns here, Riana. I think the cut of our dresses would suit you quite well."

Ria turned, blinking in surprise. "I'm afraid I'm not one to wear dresses often…"

"No, I thought not. You seem more comfortable in pants, though they don't properly display your beauty."

"My…what?"

"You're really quite lovely. Exotic, but lovely nonetheless."

"Exotic?" Ria was completely shocked. "Where I come from, I'm actually considered quite ordinary."

"Perhaps, but that is not the case while you are in this country." Leng-Si walked over and took Ria's chin in her hand, searching her face. The girl's eyes were tempered by living, lacking the raw, childish innocence she expected. "How old are you, dear?"

Smiling, Ria stepped out of the woman's grasp. "I'm nineteen, ma'am."

"What?" Both women heard a scuffling noise near the door.

"I realize I look young." She sighed. "Bi-Jun, you might as well come in, and I can answer what you asked me a moment ago."

Timidly, he crept inside, and his expression made him look like a fifteen-year-old boy for the first time since Riana had arrived. His face flushed with embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping.

"Bi-Jun?" Leng-Si looked first at her son, then her guest. "What's going on?"

"Your son is incredibly insightful, Leng-Si. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I haven't been entirely truthful about how I came to this country." Ria frowned at the hard dirt floor, wondering how best to continue. "I think we'd best sit down – this may take a few minutes."

When all three were settled – Leng-Si on the edge of the bed, Riana on the stool, and Bi-Jun on a chair he'd pulled away from the table – she began her tale.

"I can't explain everything. Some of it doesn't make sense even to me…" She gave them a brief account of her arrival in this world – that she had just woken up the morning before in a place she'd never seen. To the best of her ability she explained why she needed to get out of the country, never once mentioning Seiryu or Suzaku, or even that her goal was Hong-Nan. She merely convinced them that she had "enemies" in Qu-Dong and needed to leave the country as soon as possible. If they found her, the results would be… horrific. Hong-Nan's was the closest border.

When she had finished, Bi-Jun stood. "You could have told us that in the first place. The soonest you can get to the border is dinnertime, if you leave now. I can lead you to the border and still be back here before midnight-"

Ria shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I don't want to put either of you out of your way any more than I already have. I intend to go alone. Just point me in the right direction and I will leave as soon as possible."

"That would be unwise, Riana," Leng-Si cautioned. "You were already nearly attacked. If you travel alone again you increase your chances of coming to harm."

"I've taken that into consideration. Do you have some long bandages to spare, and maybe some plain squares of cloth and strips of ribbon?"

"Certainly!" Leng-Si replied. "But I don't see how-"

"I do." They looked at Bi-Jun. "And I won't let you do this. It's more dangerous than just going alone as you are. If anyone finds out…" He broke off, unable to think of any punishment drastic enough.

"No one will, I assure you."

Still bewildered, Leng-Si retrieved the requested items and handed them to Riana. The girl then went into one of the back room for several minutes. When she emerged, the difference was startling.

Before them stood a small, hard-faced, seemingly _male_ youth. His golden hair was restrained beneath the scrap of cloth in a bun on top of his head, tied securely with a short, plain ribbon. The general build and features were the same, of course, but there was a set to his shoulders and a defiance in his posture that suggested a hidden ferocity. It was a convincing disguise.

Bi-Jun's jaw dropped, and his mother gasped. "Riana?"

She smiled and shook her head with a sad laugh. "I'm going to have to think of another name to use until I can be myself again. I hate to just run off, but I should probably leave now if I want to make any progress away from the border before nightfall," she sighed, stepping further into the room. She even moved differently, lacking her former grace. Aside from binding her breasts flat, she had also wrapped her ankles, making her more conscious of her gait.

Sensing her resolve, the older woman stood, putting out a hand to stop her. "Wait." She stopped Ria's impending protests with a smile. "You are not leaving this house with just the clothes on your back. Bi-Jun," she added, "fetch that pack from the cupboard." He nodded, then disappeared into the far room, while his mother gathered two wrapped loaves of bread, one wheel of cheese, and salted meat. She then filled a small pouch with coins that were acceptable in all of the four kingdoms. When her son returned, she placed these in the pack he set down, along with the clothes Riana had tried on earlier. The full pack was then set in front of the girl.

"I can't take this!" she protested, wide-eyed.

Leng-Si put her hands on her hips. "You can, and you will, young lady. I know it doesn't look that way, with the condition of this place, but we're well enough off that we can spare it." She hugged Ria. "I realize we've only known you a little over a day, but I feel that we are responsible for you, in a way. If you don't reach the border safely, the gods may well place the blame on us."

Tears were threatening to spill out of Riana's eyes as she returned the embrace. "It that case, I'll be extra careful." She smiled and extended a hand to Bi-Jun, who took it with a gentle squeeze of farewell. "May the gods bless you both!"

Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He dashed back into one of the other rooms, quickly returning with a small, rectangular bundle. "I want you to take this," he said, holding it out to Ria.

Carefully, she removed the cloth wrapping. Inside, lay a sheathed dagger, its blade not quite as long as her forearm. She stared. "You think I can use this?" she asked, incredulous.

He shrugged. "You can learn, and at least you have some defense now, other than running."

The three went outside, where Riana took leave of her newfound friends. "Take care," she told them, "and thank you."

"Be careful!" Leng-Si called as Ria walked away. "And if you ever happen to find yourself in Qu-Dong again, come visit!"

"I will." And with that, Ria left the village, heading for the Hong-Nan border, praying no Seiryu Seishi found her before she found Suzaku's.

* * *

_Well, it didn't change quite as much as I had expected, but short of starting over entirely, I'm not sure what I can do. Ideas? Suggestions? Or should I just leave it be? I don't normally edit my fanfiction very much, since I write these purely for enjoyment. My original stores get all the hard work, I'm afraid._

_Bonus points to anyone who can guess which Seishi finds her first:laughs: And no cheating just because chapter two is already up!_

_Muse: And why are you doing this now?_

_Windborn: …?_

_Muse: Shouldn't you be dusting, or crocheting that baby blanket for your friend?_

_Windborn: Why are _you_ arguing about my wanting to write?_

_Muse: Ah… :ponders: I don't know?_

_Windborn: grrrr:Ties muse up and deposits him in a corner until he decides to be helpful:_


	2. The Priest of Suzaku?

Whew…this is taking more out of me than I'd expected, ya know? I'm not used to trying to keep pace with several stories… Still, it's fun. I just have to remember not to let them get too far behind. If I do, I apologize. Being in college, I have a lot of work to do.

Okay. I read through that last chapter, and realized my style shifted partway through. Again, I apologize – it takes me a little while to get set in a style with a particular story. Bear with me! I'm getting into it with this chapter. (kay… I wrote this intro nearly a year ago, so this chapter will probably be different from what I intended. And as for the style... who knows? )

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi is not mine. Never was, never will be. sobs

_MegamiNoTsuki: Thanks bunches. You'll have to let me know if I manage to keep it feeling like a real setting. Since I wrote that last chapter, my writing has changed a great deal._

_Sesshomaruslover18: Thanks! Here 'tis. (I'd actually updated before you reviewed, but it hadn't shown up on yet. :laughs: Oh, gotta love the time delay…)_

**Chapter 2: The Priest of Suzaku?!**

A young man wandered into a village some distance inside the Hong-Nan border just as the morning rays of the sun started to slant through the bright spring growth on the trees. He stopped and looked around, as if uncertain it was actually real. The smell of food caught his attention, and he noticed a stall not too far off selling – hot food, he hoped. He started towards it, digging into his pack for some coins. The man at the stall regarded the boy with curiosity. From the look of him, he was obviously a stranger to the country, and had traveled a long way. The visitor was too intent on filling his empty stomach to notice the odd looks he received.

When he was finished, he returned the bowl to the vendor with a nod of thanks. "Could you tell me," he asked, then, "if there is any place in this village where I might buy a bow and some arrows?"

The man shook his head. "Not here, lad. None of any quality, anyways. We're too small and out of the way to warrant any real craftsmen. Next town, though, on down the road a few days, is a bit larger, and might have what you're after."

Again the youth thanked him. Turning to start on his way, something caught his attention. He paused, looking around, trying to figure out what it was. At first he thought it was something he'd heard or seen, but nothing presented itself. After a few moments, he realized with some surprise that the distraction had been something he had felt, or sensed, and was still there. Having never experienced any such thing before, and being completely unaware that he could, this was quite a discovery.

"You alright, lad?" The food vender asked.

He nodded. "Yes. Fine, thanks…" And with a somewhat distant air he started out of the village. Glancing back as he left, he noticed a boy, who looked to be about his own age, watching him intently. Though he felt somewhat silly, as soon as he was out of sight of the village he left the road, walking through the woods a stone's throw away instead. For some reason, he was strangely unnerved, and highly suspicious.

The odd feeling faded a little but didn't leave, and it didn't take him long to realize he was being followed.

Annoyed, he stopped, crept back to the road and climbed into a tree, careful to keep himself concealed, but still able to see the road. The strange feeling grew, and it wasn't long before someone came into view.

It was the boy who had been watching him in town.

_Why on earth would he be following me?_ This prompted the thought that maybe he wasn't – maybe he just happened to be going the same direction.

The boy passed the tree, continued a few paces, and then stopped, frowning. He looked around, appearing completely at a loss.

From his vantage point, the stranger scowled, trying to cover fright with anger. The boy could apparently sense him, too. What was going on? As soundlessly as possible, he dropped from the tree, and stepped out onto the road behind the boy. "You followed me. Why?"

The boy whirled, wide-eyed. "What?"

"If you're looking for easy pickings, someone to rob, you'd better look elsewhere." It was a bluff, but he doubted this boy realized that.

That seemed to relive some of the boy's surprise. "I'm not after your money."

"Then what do you want?" The traveler spoke sharply, hoping the boy would give up whatever he was after.

"A moment of your time. To talk. That's all."

"Oh." What could he say to that? It was certainly unexpected. "Where are you heading?"

"Well, as you so astutely pointed out, I was following you." He paused and frowned at the stranger. He had a pleasant, cheerful face, and the thoughtful frown seemed out of place. "I suppose I am heading toward the capitol."

"Then we'd best talk and walk." He started along the road once more, and the boy fell easily in step beside him. The boy was taller, though younger than the stranger had first thought.

Despite the boy wanting to talk, they walked in silence for some minutes. The only sounds were their footfalls, and birds and the wind in the trees.

_What does he want?_ The stranger broke the silence first, more politely that he had originally planned. "What is your name?"

"Ji-Shin. Yours?"

"I'm called Houshun." There was another long pause. "What did you want to say?" He looked sidelong at Ji-Shin, who seemed to struggle with his answer. "It had best be good. I was not anticipating – or even really wanting – company on this journey."

The boy nodded. "You will not believe it, I imagine."

"That's beside the point."

Ji-Shin glanced at Houshun, then peered up at the trees. "Is it?"

Houshun snorted. "We won't know until you tell me, now will we?"

"Perhaps not." Again, there was silence, but this time Houshun recognized that the boy was going to speak this time. "Do you know of the Four Gods?"

"Doesn't everyone?" he replied dryly.

"Generally, yes. But not always those who come here from…other places."

Houshun kept his expression carefully neutral. "How do you mean? What sort of places?"

The boy bit his lip, and Houshun surreptitiously studied his profile. Ji-Shin's dark green eyes were large and wide-set, making him look incredibly innocent, and his brown hair was pulled into a long tail at the crown of his head, rather than tied into the bun that seemed more common on males. _It's very possible, _Houshun thought, _that boy is slightly older than he looks. Not quite my age – he doesn't even look more than a tall twelve. He might be as old as fourteen, but those eyes make him look like child…_

"Places you cannot reach over land," he answered at last.

"Ah, but I came here from Qu-Dong. What does that do to your theory?"

Ji-Shin snorted. "You may have come to this country from Qu-Dong, but you aren't actually from there." He looked at Houshun. "Or even from the small country beyond Qu-Dong, where people have blonde hair and blue eyes, even as you do."

Houshun frowned. "You're assuming quite a lot. How do you know I didn't come from there?"

"Your accent is strange to me." The boy spoke frankly, with no hint of boast in his voice. "I know the speech patterns of every area in this part of the world, from the northernmost tribe of Bei-Jia to the nomads who roam the Western desert, to the pirates who prowl the coasts. You I cannot place." He smiled. "No, I believe you have come here from elsewhere."

"Where else is there?" He was astonished. How could the youth know so much?

"There are other worlds that brush against this one. From time to time a stranger will fall out of their own land into this one. And vice versa."

Houshun could think of nothing to say. Once more they walked in silence. The sun was high and hot on their necks before he could bring himself to speak again.

"Say you were right, and I was from such a place. What would that mean?"

Ji-Shin slowly shook his head. "Truth, I do not know… But I would travel to the capitol with you, if you so permit. Perhaps there we can both find out what it means. Or perhaps the answer will come to us along the way."

Houshun didn't answer right away. He had not anticipated this. It could not possibly bode well for the journey that his plans were unraveling already. _But at least I am in Hong-Nan. There is some measure of comfort in having made it this far._

"Well. I suppose it can't hurt. And like you said, I'm a stranger here. You know the county. How could I refuse a native guide?"

"You couldn't, of course. Not sensibly anyway." Ji-Shin laughed, and seemed even more child-like that before.

The question was out of his mouth before Houshun could think. "How old are you anyway?" It sounded almost like an accusation.

Fortunately his companion took no offense. "Fifteen. You?"

"I'm ni—" Houshun made a face, as if concentrating. "Not quite seventeen. Late next season."

The youth – Houshun couldn't even think 'boy' now – stared at him. "Hmm. You don't seem that old."

"Funny. I was thinking the same about you."

Houshun was amazed at how easily conversation flowed between them, and how unoppressive silence could be. When they ran out of things to say for a time, they just walked, and enjoyed the journey. There was no strain, no pressure to think of something to fill the quiet. Houshun thought that perhaps it had something to do with his companion's maturity. He had never met a so composed a fifteen year old.

They walked all day, stopping only briefly for meals, both of those cold, for the weather was warm and there was no need of a fire. It was dark by the time Ji-Shin finally called a halt.

"You might be able to walk all day and all night," he said, laughing, "but I need sleep!"

Houshun grinned, but said nothing. In truth, he could have stopped long before, but didn't want to be the first to admit to being tired.

Neither youth had a bedroll, though both decided then and there that they would have to purchase one in the next town. Houshun shoved his pack under his head and arranged it as comfortably as possible, and Ji-Shin made a pillow out of a large tussock of grass. Though Houshun couldn't imagine having blades of grass poking him in the ears while he slept, he had to believe that there was no way it could be lumpier than the pack. The light snores that soon drifted from Ji-Shin's direction seemed to confirm that thought.

Riana lay awake for a long time, listening to Ji-Shin breathe, wondering how she could possibly maintain her disguise traveling with so astute a companion. What would she do when she needed to bathe…? Relieving herself wasn't too much of a problem; it just took longer than one might expect. And her breasts ached from being wrapped so tightly for so long. She only very rarely slept in a bra, and that was bad enough. Her original plan had been to take all the wrappings off – those on her ankles as well – when she bedded down for the night. That was out of the question now. Fortunately her clothes were relatively clean, so there would be no need to change in the morning.

But what on earth would she do when she needed to bathe?

* * *

It took two days for the youths to reach the next village. It was appreciably larger than the other, and Houshun left Ji-Shin to purchase their bedrolls while he went in search of someplace to buy a bow. It didn't take long. There was a good sized shop on the main street selling all sorts of hunting equipment, from knives to ropes to bows to fishing lures. He knew buying the archery equipment would probably take most of his money, but he didn't mind. The only weapon he had was a hunting knife, and if anyone attacked him, he really didn't want to let them get close enough to be able to use it. And, if he had the bow, he wouldn't have to buy food – hopefully. He'd never actually hunted before, but with some practice, he should be able to hit…something.

He wandered around the shop for some time, hoping to seem more curious than intent on a purchase. He hoped to be able to draw the shopkeeper into lowering prices to encourage him to buy something. The quality of the weapons also worried him. Some of the knives were absolutely beautiful, but the moment he picked them up, he could feel that the balance was completely wrong. On the other hand, some of the less-flashy ones seemed to be very high quality. He almost laughed at that thought – as if he had the expertise to judge the craftsmanship of anything! Still, he was afraid these bows might not be worth much. Letting his eyes wander across the wall where the bows were hung, he tried to see if any caught his attention.

Never had he seen so many different types of bows in one place. There were longbows, recurves, take-downs of both types – _Funny, I would have thought those were a more modern invention _– composite recurves for horsemen, and even a few crossbows. Bows tipped with horn or enamel, made of more types of wood than he could name, strung with gut or twine or silk cord, with grips of horn or leather. There were even rudimentary sights.

"Can I help you, lad?"

Houshun turned and smiled at the shopkeeper, an elderly man, lean, and still unbent by time. "Just admiring your merchandise, sir."

"Oh, aye?" He looked around the shop with a slightly amused expression, as if trying to see it from his customer's point of view. "They're quite something, aren't they?" He nodded his iron-grey head toward the bows.

Houshun glanced at the old man's hands, and noticed the calluses on his bow fingers. "Well, mostly I would say they are."

The shopkeeper eyed him sharply. "What do you mean 'mostly,' boy?"

"I mean no offense, sir," he answered hastily, "but a few of those bows I wouldn't give my leftover dinner for."

Rather than getting angry, as Houshun half expected, the old man merely looked at the bows. "Which?"

Startled, Houshun scanned the wall for the ones that had stood out as particularly poor. "That one there. The third longbow from the end, you see? It's warped. The wood is twisted slightly. And this composite…" He stepped up to the bow in question and ran a finger along the upper limb. "The horn is fraying, here. If that's not fixed, it's going to break, eventually."

The shopkeeper frowned and peered over Houshun's shoulder. "Eh, you're right. I missed that one." He took the bow down and went into the back of the shop for a minute, returning without the bow. "I try to keep an eye out for the ones that need attention, but I'm afraid my eyes aren't what they used to be."

"And the longbow?"

He shrugged. "That one'll stay. It's no fine piece, but will do well enough for a beginner. Which you obviously aren't."

Houshun squirmed inwardly under the man's scrutiny, and tried not to fidget. "I have some experience with archery."

The old man grinned. "Well then. You can pick out the bad ones, but what about the good? Show me, lad. If you could take any bow up there, which would you choose?"

Brief panic surged through Houshun. "Which would I choose for myself, or which is the highest quality?"

That gave the shopkeeper pause. He rubbed a forefinger along his stubbled jaw. "They wouldn't be one and the same, then? Wouldn't you take the best quality you could get?"

"Not if the best was a composite bow, or a take-down. Or a crossbow."

He gave a short bark of laughter. "Fair enough! So you'd be wanting a longbow then? Or a recurve?"

Houshun thought a moment. Longbows were fine for hunting, but he wanted something a little more powerful… "Recurve, probably."

The shopkeeper motioned to the wall, and Houshun stepped forward to examine the recurves. One longbow kept distracting him, and he finally took a moment to admire it – an elegant construction of layered yew with a horn grip and tips. But he wasn't here for a longbow, so he quickly turned his attention back to the recurve bows. There were three that seemed to be particularly high quality. One was very plain, with a simple leather grip and enameled tips. The riser appeared to be made of oak, layered with yew that continued into the limbs. The other two were a bit more elaborate. The one Houshun most liked the look of was made of ash with a tooled leather grip and horn tips. The other, yew again, had an ornately carved horn grip, and embossed carvings all the way along the limbs. It was very beautiful, but would be way out of his price range.

"That one." He pointed to the ash bow. "If I could choose any here, it would be that one." Grinning, he added, "Though I doubt I could afford it."

The old man looked at him thoughtfully. "You had some trouble choosing, eh?"

"A little." He pointed out the others he was looking at and explained why he had quickly discarded the third from his list. "And this one…" He ran a finger admiringly along the upper limb and sighed. "It's beautifully constructed, but…"

"Vanity, lad? Picked the fancier one?"

Another customer wandered into the shop and stood looking at the knives. The shopkeeper watched him out of the corner of his eye, but kept most of his attention on Houshun.

"A little." He chuckled sheepishly. "But I'm also trying to think of what I could afford. That looks to be a masterwork, for all its simplicity. I don't need anything quite that good."

"Not as good, but maybe a little stronger, eh?" He picked up the ash bow. "This is probably the second best recurve I have. It's more powerful than that one, and the draw weight's a bit higher."

Houshun blinked. He'd forgotten all about draw weights. He could only pull about thirty pounds, comfortably. Forty, if he wasn't shooting many ends.

"Of course," the man continued, oblivious, "it's also a bit shorter." He looked at Houshun, who only stood about five foot four. "Which is probably a good thing, in your case."

"Huh. We're talking like I can afford this – how much would you be asking for it?"

"We'll get to that in a bit, lad. Now, you'll need arrows. And a quiver I imagine. And a string. Do you intend to fish with it?"

"Fish?" Houshun stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Have you never fished with a bow before?"

"No – I didn't know people did!"

He grinned. "You'll have to try it, then, eh? It's no easier than usual fishing – harder, probably – but better for the impatient types." He picked up a reel of fine cord. "This lashes here, just above the grip on the bow face. See? Tie the string through a hole in the end of the arrow," and he picked up one of the fishing arrows to demonstrate, "and there you are!"

"Sounds worth trying…" But Houshun was getting even more concerned about cost. "What's the draw weight on that bow?"

"About three stone. Maybe just a shade more."

_Stone…shit. What's the conversion for stone to pounds?_ "Okay." Houshun racked his brains for a few minutes, only half listening to the shopkeeper, trying to remember. He knew he'd read it somewhere, but stone was a pretty archaic weight measure, and didn't turn up very often in the US.

"So, arrows. We'll stick to ash, so they match the bow. Hold out your arms, boy."

He put his arms straight out in front of him, palms close together, and the old man held an arrow between them, so the knock just touched Hoshun's chest. The point – a wicked looking hunting tip – was about six inches beyond his fingertips. The man arched an eyebrow. "Too long." The next arrow was a good length, and he picked up nine more of the same – ash with two black fletching and one white striped with black – and put them in a shoulder quiver made of tooled leather and wood. "Now, let me see your draw hand."

Houshun held out his right hand, and the shopkeeper fitted him with an archer's glove of supple leather that covered his first three fingers, but left the thumb and little finger bare.

"Fourteen!" he said, suddenly.

The shopkeeper stared at him. "Eh, lad?"

"Sorry, thinking out loud." There were fourteen pounds in a stone. So the draw weight of the bow was about forty-five pounds. This was going to be interesting. He looked at the glove as the man removed it. "That's quite clever."

"Isn't it? Designed 'em myself." He put the fishing reel and the cord to lash it in place in a pocket inside the quiver. He scanned the arm guards a moment, picked one up and held it against the youth's arm. Grunting in satisfaction, he put it with the glove. "Now, a bowstring. Gut, twine or, silk?"

"There I'm out of my depth. What do you recommend?"

"Gut and twine are strongest, but twine'll fray, and gut needs constant upkeep. Silk has the smoothest release, and all you really need to keep it in condition is a block of wax, but it tends to stretch if strung too long."

"Is there a way around that?"

The shopkeeper nodded and picked up one of the silk cords. "The twine and gut are one bunch of strands. These are two, twisted together, see? The more you twist it the shorter it gets, which counteracts the stretching. That and don't leave the bow strung when you aren't using it. Got a color preference?"

Houshun blinked. "What?"

The man chuckled. "I can't seem to find just plain silk cord. People don't usually dye twine or gut, but they insist on pretty colors for the silk." He motioned to the strings, letting Houshun take his pick.

A striking forest green cord twisted with black caught his attention. "That'll work."

"Alright then. Now, stand straight." The shopkeeper put looped the ends of the string over the tips of the bow, keeping one loop in the grooves and letting the other slide down the limb. He then placed the bow on a box stringer and slid the free loop into the grooves on the other tip. He held it up. "Eh, not quite tight enough." He then held it up beside Hoshun, testing the bow's length compared to his height. "Bow'll be a nice length for you though." He then unstrung it, twisted the cord a little tighter, strung it again, and looked at it. "That's better. See, here." He held an arrow up to the bow as if it was a ruler. "The string should be this far from the riser." He marked the arrow at the right length. He then took a bow square and placed a silver bead on the string, just above where the knock of the arrow should go. "There. All set but for your color code."

"My what?"

"The color bands on your arrows, so you don't loose 'em, or mix them up with anyone else's. Now, at the points, we'll start with black and green, to match your string." He got a tray of bright paints and a book from behind the counter, and started to page through the book. "Black with green… Ah, here we are. Ideas, lad?"

"No orange or yellow." He eyed those pots with thinly veiled disgust. "Blue's nice."

"And a contrast?"

"Red, I guess. Or white."

The shopkeeper scanned quickly through the book, and picked up a quill. "What's your name, boy?"

"Houshun."

"Houshun…" he muttered as he wrote, "black, green, blue, white, with red near the fletching." He glanced up, eyes twinkling. "Sound good?"

"I guess so." Since the old man seemed to have everything in hand, Houshun let his mind wander while the bands were being painted on the arrows. Now that he had time to think, he noticed a familiar nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He looked around the shop, and noticed that the other customer was still there, still looking at the hunting knives. Houshun frowned and studied him for a moment. He wasn't a very tall man – he was taller than Houshun, but then again, most people were – and he didn't seem to be much older. He wore his dark, almost violet hair long, tied in a thick braid that reached past his waist. It was his clothes, though, that caught Houshun's attention. They were obviously for travel, and looked somewhat worn, but they had clearly been very fine at one point. Nicer than anything Houshun had seen anyone wearing as of yet. _What's someone like him doing here?_

"There you go."

He looked back at the shopkeeper. Painting the bands on all ten arrows had taken him less than five minutes.

"Now. Price."

Houshun swallowed audibly. "How much?"

The old man considered this. "How much do you have?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you that…"

He waved a dismissive hand at the youth. "Eh, don't worry, lad. I'm not going to cheat you. I know full well this is likely more than you can afford, but it's been so long since I've had a worthwhile customer after archery equipment that I'm willing to make some allowances." He motioned to the counter.

Houshun took the hint and upended his money purse.

The shopkeeper seemed surprised. Whether because there was more or less money than he had anticipated, Hoshun didn't know, and didn't want to guess.

"Where are you headed, lad?"

"The capitol."

The old man considered the pile of coins, then separated out a little more than two thirds of them, put the rest back in the pouch, and handed it back to Houshun.

He stared at the shopkeeper, and at the pouch, and back again. "Surely that's not enough, sir!"

"Relax, lad. Let me keep my own counsel, eh?" He smiled at the many bows that still hung on the walls. "I'll be more than able to make it up with those other two." Handing the glove and arm guard to Houshun, he put the arrows back in the quiver, along with a cord stringer, strapped the bow to the side of it, then handed the quiver over as well. "Oh, I nearly forgot…" He went back to the arrows, pulled out two more, and gave them to the youth as well.

"But…"

The shopkeeper indicated the small hole through the knock of one of them. "Fishing arrows. You have a safe journey, lad. And thank you. You've made this old man proud of his work again."

"I really should be thanking you, sir—"

But the old man waved him away, and turned to the other customer. "I appreciate your patience, sir. Can I help you find anything?"

It was obviously a dismissal, so Houshun left, astonished by his good fortune.

He stepped out into the dimming afternoon sun – it was nearly dinnertime. He hoped Ji-Shin would agree to eating something in town; he was not quite ready to try his hand at hunting for their supper. It seemed there was still some time before he was supposed to meet his companion – when he reached the tree in the town square where they had agreed to meet, Ji-Shin was nowhere in sight. _Probably a good thing. I can relax on my own for a bit._

He unslung his new quiver and pack and set them on the ground, then sat, leaning back against the tree. For what felt like ages, but couldn't have been more than half an hour, he sat unmoving, watching people go about their business. Only about five minutes after he sat down, he saw the young man from the weapons shop cross the square. _Wonder if he found what he was looking for? _Houshun thought.

Half an hour later, about the time Houshun's neck was getting stiff and sore from leaning back on the tree, the man came back. Houshun had closed his eyes, for the wind had picked up momentarily and kicked the dust from the street into them. When he opened them again, he was immensely surprised to see the stranger standing in front of him, looking down at him with what could only be amusement.

"There you are."

Houshun looked around, wondering if his location was somehow significant.

"I've been looking for you," the man continued, "though I must say you aren't what I expected."

He sounded amiable enough, despite the fact that Houshun had no idea what he was talking about. For some reason, he was immediately at ease with this man, even more so than he had been with Ji-Shin, and he couldn't resist a brief jab. "I saw you go past some time ago. You mustn't have been looking very hard."

For a moment the stranger just stared at him. Then, without warning, he threw back his head and laughed. He had a bright laugh, higher than that of most men, musical and unrestrained, as if there was nothing in the world he needed to care about.

Houshun liked him instantly.

"You're right," the young man said, still laughing. "But I'm afraid that old man in the shop put me off rather badly, so I wasn't concentrating as hard as I should have been. Besides, I hadn't seen what direction you'd gone when you left, so I had only the feeling to go on."

"What, you mean you get that, too?"

"That niggling sensation in the back of your brain – feels like someone is staring at you really hard?"

"Huh. Yeah, that's a good way to describe it…"

The stranger smiled. "Yes. That's partly how we all find each other. Drawn together by fate, I suppose, but we recognize each other by that feeling."

"What are you talking about?" Houshun stared at him.

Ji-Shin came running up out of nowhere. "Sorry," he panted, "that took me longer than I had anticipated—" He stopped and stared at the newcomer, whose smile only widened.

"Well! Chiriko. Long time no see. And here I thought I'd found him first."

Houshun's normally composed traveling companion cast aside much of his dignity, as he and the stranger both started talking at once, so rapidly that Houshun couldn't catch a word. He gathered that whoever this new person was, Ji-Shin was very glad to see him.

Finally they slowed down a bit.

"Perhaps you can explain what's happening, then," Ji-Shin said. "Houshun is undoubtedly who we have been searching for. But how is that possible?"

_They've been searching for me? What for? Why would _they _be searching for me? _Houshun had about had enough. "_Wait_ a second here!" He scrambled to his feet as the two stared at him. "Looking for me? Why? And who the heck are you? What the hell is going on here?"

The newcomer looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, I should have introduced myself. I'm Ryu-Sen – Nuriko, but call me Ryu-Sen, for now. We should keep things as simple as possible, I think." He paused, considering Houshun for a moment. "And we've been looking for you to take you to the capital. Though I must admit, it is rather strange. We've never had a Priest of Suzaku before."

"I'm _WHAT_??"

"Suzaku's Chosen," Ji-Shin said. "The one who will summon Suzaku and save our people."

"From what?"

At that Ryu-Sen and Ji-Shin exchanged glances. "Um… We don't know, actually…"

Ji-Shin added, "There's been no threat to Hong-Nan to our knowledge. However, Suzaku surely would not awaken his Seishi and summon his chosen into this world for no reason."

"Chiriko and Nuriko," Houshun mused, almost to himself. "Of course. Two of the seven Suzaku Seishi…"

"Then you _do_ know! I'd thought you were simply being evasive when we first met."

"I know the story, yes. But I can't possibly be the…whatever. Suzaku's chosen."

Ryu-Sen looked at him intently. "And why not?"

"Because I wasn't called into Hong-Nan! I appeared in Qu-Dong. Wouldn't that make me Seiryu's?"

The two Seishi exchanged glances. "Then why come here?" Ryu-Sen asked.

Houshun shook his head. "To get away from them. I couldn't let myself be found by the Seiryu! To be stuck serving that lot? I had to leave…"

"You sound like you know a great deal about all this already," Ji-Shin said, carefully.

"Enough. We have a story in my world about the time Miaka was Miko—"

"Miaka!" Ryu-Sen stared at him. "Heavens that was ages ago! How many lifetimes?" He looked at Ji-Shin. "There have been two Priestesses since then. Still…"

"Priestesses." Ji-Shin's tone was still very even. "Even for the other gods, it's always been Priestesses."

Ryu-Sen shrugged. "Maybe Suzaku wanted a change of pace? I mean, even if you did appear in Qu-Dong, that doesn't really tell us much. We were being drawn toward the border, after all."

Houshun looked at Ji-Shin.

"He's quite correct. I was actually closer to the border than that village where I first saw you, when I suddenly realized I was being pulled back the way I'd come…"

Something clicked in Houshun's memory, and he had a brief moment of panic. It must have shown on his face, because Ryu-Sen gripped his shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

"You said there've been Priestesses since Miaka… What about… Wasn't there some problem with the Priestesses being erased each time there was a new one?" He could feel the blood draining out of his face.

Ryu-Sen laughed. "No wonder! You looked about to keel over, there. The only reason the Priestess of Genbu was vanishing was because the cycle had been broken. Had it been at least a hundred years between the summonings of Suzaku and Seiryu and Yui's being brought back as the new Priestess of Genbu, everything would have been fine." He glanced at Ji-Shin for confirmation.

"Precisely. Providing there is adequate time between now and the next summoning of Suzaku, you should have nothing to worry about."

Houshun shook his head. "'Should have' is not very comforting."

"Well, it's the best you're going to get, I'm afraid." Ryu-Sen put his hands on his hips and grinned at them. "We've got a long way to go, you two. Get your stuff organized, and let's grab some food and go!"

The boys had their marching orders, and quickly re-organized their packs, strapping the bedrolls on the outside. Houshun had a job settling both the pack and quiver comfortably on his back, and eventually gave up. With luck they would settle themselves as he walked. "We should get a pack-horse, or something," he mourned. The others just laughed.

Dinner was a rather rushed affair; a sort of meat and cheese pastry they could eat as they walked. Ryu-Sen was in a hurry. He had traveled most of the way with Xaioh, the Seishi Hotohori, and they had split up in the previous town. Xaioh had stayed there, keeping an eye out in case Ryu-Sen for some reason missed the Priestess.

"Priest. Whatever. You. That town's a major stop on the way to the capitol, so even if I didn't catch you, he probably would have."

They traveled until nearly dark, then struck out away from the road to camp, stopping beside a creek. The nights were warm, so there was no need to bother with a fire. They just laid out their bedrolls and curled up to sleep. Exhaustion made conversation brief, and soon, the only sounds were soft snores and the whisper of the forest.

Some time after she was pretty sure her companions were asleep, Riana crawled out of her bedroll. She quietly rummaged through her pack for some soap, a comb, extra bandages, and a change of clothes, then headed downstream until she found a pool deep enough to bathe in. "Gods, I stink…" The water was frigid, but at this point, that didn't matter much. She stripped down, wincing as she took the bandages off her breasts, and nearly weeping when she tried to straighten her hair. It had been tied up so tightly for so long that her scalp was in agony. Though she bathed quickly, she still had time to think about her situation. _So I'm the Priestess of Suzaku… I can't imagine what they must be thinking! Priest of Suzaku? No wonder poor Ji-Shin was so bewildered when we met. Getting home shouldn't be too much of a problem, then. I just wish myself there! _She frowned, and started scrubbing her clothes. _But I wonder what sort of predicament Hong-Nan is in that it needs Suzaku?_

When everything was finally thoroughly clean, she re-bound her breasts, dressed, and tied her hair back into a bun. She really hoped this journey didn't last too long. _Why not just tell them the truth?_ That thought gave her pause, and she considered it very carefully before deciding against it. The Seishi were supposed to protect the Priestess. She understood that. But at the same time, Ji-Shin and Ryu-Sen seemed fairly confident in Houshun's ability to look after himself. If Miaka's summoning was any indication, they were likely to face a great deal of danger before this was all over. Riana didn't want them to risk their lives for hers – she would be permitted to pull her own weight in this adventure or they would have to find themselves another Priestess. She grinned a little at that childish thought. _Childish, perhaps, but true. _They had been very careful of Miaka – Ria didn't want to risk their attempting to wrap her in satin if they found out she was a girl. Until she had proven to them all that she could look after herself, they would be stuck with Houshun.

She reached their camp and carefully hung her wet clothes on branches to dry. As she lay down to sleep at last, an image of a middle-aged man, face twisted with horrible intentions, swam before her mind's eye. She shoved the thought away as quickly as she had run from him. _That has nothing to do with anything,_ she thought. These were Seishi, sworn to protect Suzaku's chosen. The fact that she was a lone girl among men had nothing to do with her choice to remain Houshun. Did it?

* * *

* * *

_Sorry about the insanely detailed archery section – I guess I got a bit too caught up in it. Ah well._

_Poor Ria… She has put herself into a bit of a fix. I'm just glad this chapter is finally DONE. Argh!_

_Well, y'all, chapter three is also finished and ready to be posted. Let me know if it's worth it! There will probably be at least a week between posts – I'm trying to let the story get off the first page of fics before posting again. waves Ja ne!_


	3. The Unwilling

Disclaimer: FY is still not mine. I'm trying though – honest! Currently accepting donations towards purchase of... No? You won't donate? But it's a really good cause...! Still no? Oh, well, alright...

_akahana: Thanks! I'm glad it works. I'd like to say it was an inspired decision...but I wrote that first chapter so long ago that for the life of me, I no longer remember what made me choose that route. Fortunately, I do remember what it leads to! _

_MegamiNoTsuki: Whew! I was concerned. I'm glad it's still working. Between last chapter and this one, I feel like I'm rushing with Seishi introdctions, though. And she'll get things sorted...eventually. They have to get worse before they can get better...right?_

**Chapter 3: The Unwilling**

They had enough provisions for two days; sufficient to get them to the next village. Houshun was glad he had a few days to brush up on his archery before they would be making it their primary means of getting food. Any time they halted, for whatever reason, he strung his bow and fired a few shots. Even while they walked, he would occasionally pick out a target some distance ahead – usually a knot on a tree, and he felt bad for the trees – shoot, and then collect the arrow when they came abreast of the target. But the feel of the bow was familiar and comfortable in his hand, so it didn't take him too long to refresh his skills.

Meanwhile, he listened while Ji-Shin and Ryu-Sen caught up, talking about their present lives. He learned a lot about his companions in those two short days. Ji-Shin had been educated in the capitol, but had never crossed paths with Ryu-Sen or Xaioh, who came from noble families of the Emperor's court. Ryu-Sen was twenty, and his parents had arranged for his engagement to the fourteen year old daughter of some friends of theirs. Both he and his supposed fiancé were fighting the betrothal tooth and nail.

"They keep telling me I should have been married several years ago, but I've always known that I would have to take up the role of Seishi eventually. I didn't want tied down to a family when I never knew when I would be called to serve Suzaku. Besides, Lian and I absolutely detest each other."

"Is that the only reason?" Ji-Shin asked with a sly smile.

"What do you mean? Isn't that reason enough?"

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your...preferences, would it?"

Houshun blinked and eyed Ryu-Sen warily. Having to fend off advances could complicate matters significantly.

Ryu-Sen laughed. "Not this time, Ji-Shin." He grinned. "Don't worry, Houshun, I like women, this time."

"Good to know."

"I felt I should check – it's impossible to be certain, with you. One life, men, then women, then both... One of these times it's going to be neither and I will truly be worried!"

They all laughed. Though the subject seemed to have been dismissed, Houshun was still disturbed. As far as the two Seishi knew, Suzaku had chosen a Priest, rather than a Priestess. What did that say about the orientation of said Priest?

Riana shuddered inwardly. In high school, she'd had one boyfriend, who'd turned out to be such a jerk that she hadn't bothered with relationships after that. She was one of few in her group of friends who was still single, and a few years ago there had been malicious whisperings that she lacked a boyfriend because she was more interested in girls. A petty rumor, but the effect it had on Ria was astounding. She was _not _homosexual! But so many of the guys she knew were so _stupid_... _What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic – I refuse to take just any guy in order to quell the rumors. _Consequently, sexuality was a touchy subject. If they ever put the question of orientation to Houshun, she hoped they would ask in such a way that she could tell the truth without giving herself away. She had only told her Seishi two outright lies so far – her name and her age – and she hoped she wouldn't have to tell them more.

---------

They reached the town where they were to meet Xaioh about an hour after sunset. It was much larger than any of the villages Houshun had yet seen, and even had its own temple, standing ornate and proud on the southern side of the town square. Shops flanked it on either side, like colorful soldiers standing at attention, and there was a steady bustle of people between them. Fishmongers and bakers hawked their wares, each vying to be louder than the other, all of them struggling against the noise of the crowd. A tailor took note of Ryu-Sen's clothing and tried to interest him in some of the more expensive fabrics in his shop. It took them some time to extricate the poor Seishi from the tailor's attempts to make a sale. The town seemed to have everything. Even—

"Oho, gentlemen!" An arm suddenly appeared around Ryu-Sen's waist, another took Ji-Shin's shoulders, and a third linked arms with Houshun. Each was attached to a rather attractive, and in the case of Ryu-Sen's sudden 'companion', well endowed young woman.

Courtesans.

"My, my! You three look like you must have been traveling for days!" she crooned. "Why don't you come with us and unwind for a bit, eh?" She ran a delicate hand down Ryu-Sen's long braid and twirled it around her fingers.

"Oh yes," bubbled the one draped over a rather startled Ji-Shin. "We promise you'll enjoy yourselves. Just the thing after a long journey!"

The third girl said nothing, but smiled shyly up at Houshun. She couldn't have been in this profession very long, and he felt sorry for her. Stronger than his pity, however, was an urgent need to get out of this situation. He hastily extricated himself from her grasp. Her eyes widened.

"No."

Ryu-Sen, who had been about to give a more polite and possibly flirtatious reply, blinked at Houshun. The amply busted woman, obviously in charge of the trio, released Ryu-Sen and sauntered around to face the recalcitrant foreigner. He braced himself and stared at her as he might a feral dog that looked ready to attack.

"Oh, come now, handsome, there's no need to be shy! Seni here is as adept as any of us, for all her quiet manner, I assure you."

He stepped back a pace. "No," he repeated

"I'm afraid I must concur..." Ji-Shin attempted to duck out from under the bubbly woman's arm, but she stubbornly clung to him.

Ryu-Sen managed to salvage the situation and still save everyone's dignity. "Sadly, my friends are quite right, ladies. We are supposed to be meeting someone soon, and simply don't have the time for pleasure right now." He took the leader's hand and lightly kissed it. "But I assure you, if I'm ever in the area again..."

She tossed her head and smiled at him. "Then I shall wait with bated breath! Come on, girls."

As they walked away, Ji-Shin turned to Houshun. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, but a minute tremble coursed through him. He couldn't seem to stop it.

"Never been propositioned before, eh?" Ryu-Sen asked.

Houshun slowly shook his head. Not in answer to the question, but in denial of it. He had been, but not by prostitutes, and not by—

"Or is it that they were girls?"

Houshun shot Ryu-Sen a dark look.

"Well, I'd wondered. After all, would Suzaku really have chosen a Priest if he was...unwilling?"

Ji-Shin suddenly caught on. His eyes went wide, and looked at Houshun with bewilderment and a hint of betrayal.

Houshun frowned at him. "Don't look at me like that. Like you're surprised I didn't..." He shook his head, furious with both of them – Ryu-Sen for the assumption and Ji-Shin for the sudden distrust. "Besides, I'm not... I'm not homosexual."

"So you do like girls. It was the fact that they sell themselves?"

He didn't reply immediately, trying to find a way to answer that without perjuring himself. To lie without lying.

Ryu-Sen sighed. "Look, it's difficult – I should know! – but it's not something to be ashamed of. There are plenty of people out there who have no interest in the opposite sex—"

"I'm _not _fey! Why the hell do my preferences matter, anyway?" He brushed passed them and headed for a particularly thick stream of people wandering the shops, hoping to disappear into the crowd. Granted, with that extra sense that drew the Seishi to him, it wouldn't be long before they found him again, but hopefully they would respect his sudden attempt to be alone.

He followed the crowed until it passed near a tavern, where he slipped inside in response to a sudden urge for a drink. Any drink. He stopped just inside the door to adjust his eyes to the light, and remembered, a bit belatedly, that he didn't drink. Why had he suddenly wanted one? Shaking his head, he decided a drink might not hurt – he was thirsty, and at the very least he might get some water.

Ignoring the looks cast his way by people long used to judging whether a customer was in a foul temper and might cause trouble, he strode up to the bar. He hitched himself over a stool a few feet down from a grumbling red-haired young man who looked like he'd been drinking for some time.

"I won' do't. I won'. No' again. Won' go through that again." He threw back the rest of his drink and slammed his mug on the counter. "Gimme another."

Houshun watched the young man down another drink in short order. When that was finished, the bartender silently passed him yet another, then looked up at Houshun. "You gonna order something, lad?"

"Some tea, please..."

The bartender nodded briefly and left, returning a few moments later with a steaming mug of tea.

"Is he okay?" he asked quietly as the man set the mug down in front of him.

"This guy? I don't know, to be honest. He's been coming in here nearly every day for the past week or so, and drinks from the time I open the bar until I close it. Never talks to anyone but himself – except to order more drinks. But it's nothing to me, so long as he keeps paying. Besides, last time I tried to cut him off he waved some huge metal thing at me and threatened to take my head off with it if I didn't keep the drinks coming."

"'Nother drink, here!"

With a shrug, the bartender slid another drink down to him. Houshun noticed that the used mugs were taken away almost as soon as a new one was set down. He quietly sipped his tea, watching the drunken man intently, listening to him ramble.

"No way. No way in hell. Won' do't. Won' watch 'em all die _again_. No more sacrifices. No more, dammit! I won' go. They can' make me! Jus' keep drinkin' an' I can' feel it, an' they can' find me..."

Slowly, Houshun began to get a picture of who this guy must be and what he was going through. A week ago – that corresponded pretty well to when Houshun had arrived in this world. Of course, the large metal fan strapped to the man's back was also a good indicator. But his words spawned guilt in Houshun's mind. If he hadn't been called, the Seishi would be free to go about their lives like normal people. Their existence was disrupted by the need to call Suzaku, and they would risk their lives in order to protect him, to see to it that Suzaku was summoned successfully. If he refused to summon the beast-god, couldn't their lives then return to normal? But if Hong-Nan was in jeopardy and he refused to summon Suzaku to save it...

The next time the bartender slid a drink down to the red-haired man, Houshun reached out and snagged it as it went past.

"Hey! Wha' th'hell d'you think yer doin'?"

Ignoring him, Houshun tossed back the drink. It was strong, and burned his throat on the way down, making his eyes water. He coughed and spluttered, but downed it all and gently set the mug down on the bar.

"Wha'dya do that for?"

He looked over at the furious man, his eyes sad. "You think you've got problems." His voice was harsh from the drink. "How do you suppose I feel, knowing that if I wasn't here, they wouldn't have to risk so much? Knowing that if I refused to do what I've been called to do, you could all go about your normal lives again."

The young man's eyes grew large, and fear practically radiated from him. "You...you can't be..."

"But not only that, there's also what happens if I decide not to. How many more lives might be lost in whatever I've been brought here to avert, if I do nothing?" He calmly took a sip of his tea. "What's your name?"

"Liang – but what've you got to do with—"

"You're Tasuki, of course."

"I—"

"Nuriko and Chiriko are around here somewhere. They're looking for Hotohori. I'm sure they would be perfectly willing to explain, should you run into them." By this time darkness had fallen outside. Houshun glanced toward the door of the tavern just as Ji-Shin and Ryu-Sen came in. "Ah. Their timing is astonishing." He drained the rest of his tea.

Liang also looked, and paled when he saw the other two Seishi approaching. "Aww hell..." He started to stand, perhaps to find some escape, but he didn't get very far. His legs gave out the minute he tried to put any weight on them. "Shit!"

Houshun stared impassively down at him. "You should have thought of that before deciding to drink yourself silly. You may be able to drown the feeling in _your _head with alcohol, but that doesn't keep the rest of us from finding you." Nodding to the bartender, he asked, "Do you have any rooms available in this place?"

"Sure do. Nicest inn in town, this. You want one?"

"Yes, please."

He paid the man for the drinks and the room, took his key, and headed upstairs without a backward glance. When he reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he was so exhausted and relieved to finally be alone that he stumbled and nearly fell. With a startled curse, he twisted and sat down on the top stair. Footsteps sounded briefly behind him.

"Are you alright?"

He didn't bother looking for the speaker. "Fine, thanks. Just tripped."

There was a long moment of silence.

"It's you!"

_Oh hells. _Houshun turned around and looked up. He really wasn't too surprised to see a fairly tall, incredibly handsome man whose long, dark hair was tied loosely behind him. With a sigh, he stood up. "You must be Xaioh."

"I am, yes."

"'And where Suzaku's chosen appears, there his Seishi gather...' I'm Houshun, but I think right now you'll want the others." He waved a hand toward the stairs. "They're down in the tavern."

Xaioh looked mildly surprised. "All of them?"

"No. Three others. Sorry to be so abrupt, but I've had a rough day. It's nice to meet you." He started towards his room.

Just as he reached to push open the door, Xaioh asked, "Are you certain you're alright?"

Houshun looked back and offered a weary smile. "I'll survive. I'm just very, very tired. Thanks for the concern, though. I appreciate it." With that, he slipped through the door and closed it tightly behind him.

Riana slumped against the door. She prayed there weren't too many more days like this, or she would simply not be up to fulfilling the role of Suzaku no Miko. A quick glance around the room revealed a bed, a chest of drawers, a mirror, a chair, windows, and another door. Beyond the door there was a small water closet, of sorts. A tub and cistern, at any rate. And was that a chamber pot? She grinned a little, too relieved to find a tub to care much about toilet facilities. Heating the water was a simple matter of lighting the coals beneath the cistern, which she accomplished in short order. She then wandered back out into the room, propped the chair against the door to prevent anyone coming in, drew the curtains, and stripped, leaving clothes strewn all over the place.

The tub was too small to stretch out in, so either her knees had to be out of the water, or her shoulders. She washed thoroughly, then soaked until the water, which was quite hot when she filled the tub, started to get too cold. It was so comfortable to just sit and relax in the hot water that she nearly fell asleep. Regretfully, she climbed out of the tub. She toweled off with her clothes, which she then tossed into the tub and gave a good scrubbing. After hanging them to dry, she set out her clothes for the next day and crawled, naked, into bed. It felt so good to finally spend a few hours without bandages constricting her chest! Smiling peacefully, she nestled down under the blankets and went to sleep.

---------

"Our... Suzaku's Chosen seems to be in something of an ill temper. I hope this is not his usual state."

Nuriko rubbed his forehead. "No, it isn't. We upset him, I'm afraid. Whatever you do, don't make any comments about sexual preferences around him."

"It is a touchy subject, I take it?"

"Yeah. That and Chiriko—"

"I was surprised is all, and showed it. Whatever his orientation, he never gave me any cause to mistrust him. My reaction was uncalled for."

"What, the guy's gay?"

Chiriko shook his head. "We don't know, Tasuki. He insists not, but..." He shrugged.

"This is all beside the point. It's just strange that we have a Priest this time, instead of a Priestess. His preferences don't matter. What's important now is finding the other Seishi."

"That's true. Tamahome is waiting for us at the capitol, but where do we even begin to look for Chichiri and Mitsukake?" Hotohori sighed, then smiled slightly. "Although, if the four of us are any indication, that could be remarkably simple." He chuckled.

"What's so damn funny?" Now that he was no longer drinking, Tasuki was painfully aware that the situation he was in was the very one he had been trying to avoid. He was thoroughly pissed off.

"It's just something Houshun said when I met him on the stairs. 'Where Suzaku's Chosen appears, there his Seishi gather.' Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say the Seishi are drawn to Suzaku's Chosen."

"True," Chiriko mused. "In which case, our priority is simply to reach the capitol as quickly as we can."

"The fastest way there is through the woods, but that could be slightly complicated. Should we need supplies, or food for that matter, there will be no villages readily accessible."

Nuriko grinned. "We'll just have to make sure we have everything we need before we leave here. Food won't be a problem. There are plenty of tubers and berries this time of year, and Houshun is pretty good with a bow."

"If he will hunt, that would certainly facilitate matters." Hotohori relaxed. "Good."

Tasuki stood and pushed in his chair. "Well, you all enjoy yourselves." He stood to leave.

"You don't intend to come with us, Tasuki?" Chiriko asked.

"No. No way in hell. I'm not gonna go through all this just to watch you all die again."

"Go sleep off all that alcohol, Tasuki. We can discuss this in the morning. Hopefully by then Houshun will be willing to join us."

"There ain't nothin' to discuss, Nuriko. I ain't goin'!" He stalked out of the tavern.

"Oh dear." Chiriko stared after him. "I hope he'll be alright..."

"He'll come around. He's had to watch some of us die every time, he and Chichiri. Last time they were the only ones to survive – and then only just! I'm not surprised he doesn't want to do this again."

Hotohori frowned. "Last time, our Priestess was inept."

Chiriko squirmed a little. He had fallen in love with that particular Priestess, despite her faults. "She was too young and naïve is all. Besides, we lost almost as many of us with Miaka." As their first Miko, Miaka was the standard by which all the rest of Suzaku's Chosen were judged.

"But it wasn't her fault," Nuriko protested. "We were weaker, too, then."

"And most of us chose self-sacrifice to save others. That was not the case last time." Hotohori smiled at Chiriko. "I know how you felt about her, but that does not change the fact that her poor choices led to more deaths than were necessary – including her own!"

Chiriko winced. It was the truth, no matter how badly he wanted to deny it.

"We really should explain all of this to Houshun soon. He's heard about Miaka's time here, but I'm not sure he really knows what he might be headed for... Things got bad, that time, but it's been worse. He needs to know how bad it can get."

Hotohori blinked at Nuriko. "But do we really know how bad it can get? Surely, no matter how terribly things go, they can always be worse. It would be incredibly presumptuous of us to tell him, 'This is the worst that could happen'..."

"We should still give him some idea of what's happened in the past."

"I concur..." Chiriko stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes. "That decided, can everything else wait until morning? I'm exhausted."

----------

By the time any of the Seishi made it downstairs the next morning, Houshun was already halfway through a substantial breakfast. His pack was on the floor beside his chair – apparently he had no intention of waiting too long before getting on the road again.

"Well," said Ryu-Sen, "you're certainly up early."

Houshun grinned. "I wanted to make up for my deplorable temper yesterday," he said around a piece of sausage. "Breakfast is on me."

Ryu-Sen sat down across from him. "Deplorable, but entirely justified. You were right. It's none of our business."

"True enough. But get some food! Where are the others?"

"Xaioh and Ji-Shin were debating the pros and cons of what seems to be the best route to the capitol. They'll be along."

"And Liang?"

"He—"

"He'll be with ya in a minute. Just let him get a drink first."

Houshun and Ryu-Sen stared at Liang as he strode past them to the bar. He clearly wasn't thrilled to be there. But he was there, and just then, that was all that mattered.

"Get some breakfast while you're at it," Houshun called. "I'm paying."

A few minutes later, Ji-Shin and Xaioh came down to the tavern and joined Houshun and Ryu-Sen. The younger Seishi looked somewhat the worse for the long days of traveling, Houshun realized, with a sharp pang of guilt. Slightly disheveled, but he looked as alert as ever, and grinned sheepishly at Suzaku's Chosen.

"I want to apologize for yesterday..."

Houshun waved a hand dismissively. "As much my fault as anyone's. Though I admit I was hoping we could get moving early today; leave this town and its...uncomfortable...memories behind."

"That sounds wise." Xaioh regarded Houshun steadily, though he was somewhat startled by the drastic change in demeanor from last night. "But what shall we do about Tasuki?"

"Our resident alcoholic will be with us as soon as he's finished at the bar," Houshun replied, jerking his head in that direction. Looking up, Xaioh saw the red-haired Seishi heading toward the table with a plate of sausage and eggs in one hand and a beer in the other.

"I ain't no alcoholic!"

Houshun just smiled.

Over breakfast, they finally settled on the forest route to the capitol. It would cut several days off their journey, as well as reducing the risk of their running into any bandit gangs. With Houshun's assurance that he should be able to shoot _something_ edible, there was no real reason to take the longer road through the towns. Liang also consented to join them – for the time being.

"If he shows any sign of bein' as much an idiot as the last one, then I'm gone."

Houshun searched his hard, yellow eyes for a few moments. "Agreed."

Liang blinked at him. "You serious?"

"Of course. I wasn't brought here just so you all could risk your lives for me. And if I was, then Suzaku needs his head adjusted." The four Seishi stared at him, eyes wide, mouths agape. He ignored them. "Everyone finished eating? Can we go now?"

* * *

_I think I'll stop here. Mostly because I know how the next scene should go, and I need someplace to start the next chapter! It ties in pretty well with this one. Soo, it wasn't as great as I had anticipated. Mostly because of the part I'm leaving until next time. It should really be on here... :considers adding it on: No, it can wait..._

_Riana: You're killing me – _when_ do I get to meet the rest of them?!_

_Elwing: Soon enough. _

_Riana: NOT soon enough you sadistic... Argh! At the rate you write it'll take forever!!_

_Elwing: Not forever, I promise... Two more chapters. Three at the very most. Maybe even only one if I make it really long... No, that won't work... Two, probably._

_Riana: TWO!?!?_

_Elwing: You _want _your pain and misery to happen sooner?_

_Riana: ..._

_Elwing: Okay then._

_Muse: Why did I have to be given to a crazy woman?_

_Ewling: :glaring fiercely: I HEARD that!! :pounce!:_


	4. Past to Present: Reminiscing and Hey, wh...

_:happy little giddy voice: Woot! I haven't churned out chapters this quickly since the first three of the Bright Bird... Which was nearly three years ago! I love it when stories let me write them... :huggles story and Muse:_

_Muse: Get off!_

_Elwing: :sheepish: Sorry..._

Note: Questions, actually. Does anyone know how big Hong-Nan is? 'Cause so far, they've been traveling for about eight days, and I planned on it being about another week before they reached the capitol. Seeing as they're walking, and going to stop for several days, is that a sensible amount of time, or too much?

More notes: (sorry...) Okie. It is firmly entrenched in all heads that Riana is Houshun and Houshun is Riana? Good. 'Cause I'm starting to get confuzzled having to write them separately. Some thoughts Riana would be having during Houshun segments have needed to be left out because, though I've been writing it from his (her) perspective, I was writing him (her) how the Seishi saw him (her). :grin: That was fun. It also helped that that was how she was trying to see herself. As him. Easy enough with Chiriko, since she's four years older than he is. Little more difficult with Nuriko, but then, as far as she knew at first, he was gay. So, easy enough to continue acting as a male and fighting any attractions to him. But suddenly, Ria is surrounded by gorgeous men. As her reactions to this are important, I'm going to shift back and forth between calling her Houshun (for external things) and Riana (for internal). Just like before, except all in the same section... Just keep in mind that they still see her as Houshun. (I never realized how complicated things could get writing from inside the head of a cross-dresser!)

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi still does not belong to me. Poor, lost Riana/Houshun does. Boredom does. Homesickness does. New Zealand is beautiful, Wellington is a great city, but I am not a city girl. I've been away from Pennsylvania woods long enough.

**Chapter 4: Past to Present, Reminiscing and... Hey, what's that?**

Silence was disturbing. Particularly when it had persisted for more than an hour and seemed to be emanating from a single individual. To say that Liang was in a sour mood would have been one hell of an understatement. He was a flame-haired pillar of stormy quiet, from which the silence rippled out and engulfed everything in the immediate area. His temper had effectively dampened everyone's spirits but Riana's – and she was put out by the silence.

And she'd had quite enough of the silence. She almost started to hum, before she remembered that her singing voice would be too recognizably feminine. Okay, no humming.

When the first whistled note pierced through the frozen quiet, everyone jumped. Houshun pretended ignorance, and kept right on. His whistled tune failed to have the desired effect. The Seishi just listened – or three of them did, anyway. Liang walked a few meters a head with his shoulders hunched and head bowed. Slightly annoyed, he changed his tactics. Staring daggers at Liang's back, he began to whistle scales, starting low, working gradually higher and higher, and deliberately making each scale more shrill than the last.

Xaioh frowned, and turned to ask him to stop, but Ryu-Sen caught his eyes and shook his head, tossing a quick glance at Liang. Understanding dawned on Xaioh's face, and he smiled slightly.

Ji-Shin didn't comment, but he looked like he was going to go mad.

Liang's shoulders hunched still farther, and his neck bent further and further down until he looked like a tortoise trying to escape the sound. He started to tremble, and the hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat curled into obvious fists.

Houshun grinned inwardly, and kept right on whistling. _Five...four...three...two..._

_"Would yeh fuckin' cut that out already?!"_ Liang whirled on him, amber eyes wild, chest heaving.

"Ah, the dulcet tones of human speech," Houshun sighed. Liang just stared at him, and Houshun watched as realization of what he'd been doing slowly crawled across Liang's face.

"I do believe," Xaioh said, a slight smile tugging at his handsome face, "that boy has something of a sadistic streak in him."

"Or dislikes quiet..." Ji-Shin wiggled a finger in his ear, trying to stop its ringing.

"Or a bit of both," Houshun mused. "I was tired of the ice. You've made it quite obvious that you don't really want to be here, Liang." His eyes were calm, almost guarded as he swept his gaze to include all of them. "What I want to know is: why? It surely can't only be because of the deaths when Miaka was Priestess. Granted, that was probably bad enough, but..." He shook his head. "There's more to it, isn't there?"

Liang shoved his hands back into his pockets and hunched forward again.

For a moment, the silence seemed about to throttle them all once more. Then Ryu-Sen sighed.

"Well, we did decide you had a right to know..."

Xaioh curled a tendril of dark hair around one finger. A thoughtful frown dimpled his forehead. "Indeed. But where to begin?"

This, Riana decided, was likely to go nowhere if she didn't do something.

"Maybe it would be easier if I ask questions," Houshun suggested. "Then, if I miss anything you feel is important, you can fill in the details."

"Very well," Xaioh replied.

"Okay. Ryu-Sen, you mentioned the other day that there have been two Mikos since Miaka. From the way Liang was talking at the bar, I'm guessing at least some of you were killed attempting those summonings?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes. The first of those times wasn't quite so bad. Only – heh, 'only!' As if it didn't matter... Two of us died—"

"And that was through the sheerest ill luck." Ji-Shin looked torn between embarrassment and annoyance. "I fell from a horse, and Tamahome was crossing a rather unsound bridge over a flooded river. The bride broke. Stupid of us both."

Houshun stared at him, unsure of how to react.

"But the last time we were called..." Xaioh trailed off.

Liang cast a sidelong glance at the older Seishi. "Yeah? Go on. Tell 'im. Tell 'im how our Priestess was so damn weak and conflicted that she was torn to shreds durin' the summonin'. Tell 'im how before that her damn fool decisions got you and Chiriko and Mitsukake killed. How the rest of us wound up facin' an army of raiders from outside the Four Kingdoms completely on our own. Four against over a thousand, because our Priestess had lost the Emperor's faith in us. How Chichiri and I watched Nuriko and Tamahome be killed, managin' to survive ourselves only because Chichiri threw up a shield at the last second to keep everythin' out. And then we had to watch their bodies be..." He choked, but couldn't manage to force the rest of that sentence. "All because he refused to take the damn shield down so they could kill us too!" Fierce eyes rimmed with unexpected tears, he turned to face them. "Why? Why can't we just live normal lives for once?" He sat heavily on the ground, his back against a tree. "What'd we ever do to deserve this...hell?"

Riana's heart tightened, and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around the young man and comfort him, tell him everything would be alright. But it wasn't alright, and maybe wouldn't be. She had no way of knowing how things would turn out. Besides, it wasn't the sort of thing Houshun would do.

He walked over and crouched in front of the miserable Seishi. "Liang." Liang didn't look up. "Give me your arm." Surprised by the strange request, he complied, shooting a black look at Suzaku's Chosen. Houshun, somewhat roughly, took Liang by the wrist and shoved his sleeve up past his elbow. His Seishi mark blazed to crimson life. "Liang. You are Tasuki. The Seishi are blessed by the god they serve – no one receives such a gift without having to earn it."

Liang snatched his arm back. "Well I _don't fuckin' want it_," he spat. "Suzaku can keep 'is damn blessin' and find 'imself another warrior!"

Houshun regarded him steadily. "He chose the seven of you for a reason. It could very well be that there isn't another person who could adequately fill your place. Would you rather that? Would you rather live a peaceful life while some incompetent Tasuki filled your place, making it impossible to summon Suzaku? And if Suzaku couldn't be summoned, what then? How many people, how many innocent people are you willing to sacrifice for your 'peaceful life,' Liang?"

The red-haired man just stared at him. His mouth moved, possibly forming words, but no sounds emerged.

Houshun stood. "That's the choice I have to make. Do I refuse to be the...Priest...and let you all go back to your lives? Suzaku cannot make me summon him, after all, and even though I barely know the four of you," he looked around at his Seishi, "the last thing I want is to see you all risk your lives – particularly for me. I don't want that." His gaze seemed to turn inward, even as he let his gaze drift out into the woods. "And yet... Could I live with myself if I made such a choice? In choosing to summon, the only lives risked are ours. The eight of us. But if we don't summon... If whatever I'm here to prevent occurs... There's a good chance some of you would still be killed – could you really sit by watching innocents die, and do nothing?" He shook his head. This wasn't coming out quite right, but at the moment it was the best he could do.

"I've already said that if I turn out to be as much an idiot as the last Chosen, you're free to leave, since the summoning would then be likely to fail anyway." He looked down at Liang. "Let me also say this: you have my word that I will do everything in my power to see that none of you die."

Ryu-Sen crossed his arms. "But that's not the point. The Seishi are supposed to protect Suzaku's Chosen. Not the other way around!"

"Why not?" Houshun asked. His blue eyes sparked with frustration.

"The Miko is not to be placed at risk, if it can possibly be avoided," Xaioh answered.

Houshun opened his mouth to say, _but I'm not a Priestess_, and stopped before the words reached his mouth. _No_, Riana thought. _That's a lie. I refuse to lie to them more than absolutely necessary. It's going to be hard enough to keep their trust as it is._

Instead, he said. "Bull." They stared at him. "I didn't ask _how_ things are, I asked _why_."

"I would have thought it obvious," Ji-Shin said, sounding almost apologetic. "Without the Miko...the Chosen...Suzaku cannot be summoned. We must not risk anything happening to you."

Houshun grinned, a little wickedly. "Have any of your Priestesses ever been able to adequately defend themselves?"

The Seishi considered this. "Well, no, I suppose not," Xaioh said. "Miaka could, to some extent, but the others..."

Liang stood, brushing off the seat of his pants. "So you're saying yeh don't want us risking our lives for yours? Then what if _you _die, huh?"

Riana hadn't thought of that.

"Let me put it this way," Houshun said with a sigh. "You seven...you're a team. You watch each other's backs, but you also know to what extent each of you is able to look after himself. All I'm asking is to be treated as part of that team. As an equal – not someone you have to take particular care to look after."

Ryu-Sen regarded him for a long moment. At last he shrugged, and tossed his long braid back over his shoulder. "I don't see why we can't give you a chance to prove you can look after yourself. We shouldn't run into much major trouble between here and the capitol, so there's no better time to see what you're capable of."

"Just try not to be too upset if we forget and try to help you." Xaioh smiled. "It has become something of a habit."

That smile caused something in the region of Riana's abdomen to leap unexpectedly. It was not an unpleasant sensation. He was just so _beautiful_... She quickly pushed that thought away before she blew her cover.

"Right." Houshun grinned back at Xaioh. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"If that's all settled, can we _go_ now?" Liang turned and started along the trail once more. "The sooner we get to the capitol, the soon we can get this all over with."

The others exchanged glances, but refrained from mentioning that he'd been the one to stop in the first place.

Now that the icy silence had been taken care of, no one hesitated to keep a running thread of conversation going. The four Seishi talked a great deal about their own lives, and would have been interested in hearing about Houshun's, had he felt comfortable talking about it. He was far more content finding out about their lives.

"So, Ryu-Sen told us about his 'engagement,' Xaioh." Ryu-Sen made a choking noise, but Houshun ignored him. "You're a year older – how have you managed to avoid tying the knot?"

"I had the sense to move out of my parents' home. They have some difficulty ordering my life, now." He tilted his elegant head slightly. "And they are somewhat less...traditional...than his parents are."

Ryu-Sen snorted. "What he's not saying, is that he still has hopes that one day he'll find his perfect match in the Priestess."

"Oh, really?" Houshun glanced towards Xaioh, whose face was turning bright red.

"Mmhmm. He seems quite convinced that since it wasn't to be between he and Mika, then his soulmate will certainly be one of the Mikos. So he's been avoiding all possible suitors – and believe me, there have been plenty!"

"Well, it looks like yeh'll just have t'go back and give 'em all a second chance, eh?" Liang laughed.

"What about you?" Ji-Shin asked, rescuing poor Xaioh. "What have you been up to?"

"Same as usual."

"I'd think you could eventually think of something better to do with your life than banditry." Ryu-Sen rolled his eyes.

"What? Every time I go back, the Mt. Reikaku bandits look about ready t'give up. I can't let 'em do that!"

"Of course not," the violet-haired Seishi muttered. "Never mind that Mt. Reikaku would be a safer place _without_ the bandits..."

"I heard that!" Liang brandished his tessen at Ryu-Sen, who smiled innocently.

"How long have you been with the bandits?" Houshun asked, trying to divert him.

"Eh, 'bout five years. Been leadin' 'em for three."

He arched an eyebrow. "And you're how old?"

"Eighteen."

Riana mulled over all of this for a while, staying out of the conversation. _These Seishi certainly are extraordinary._ It was comforting, even given that she didn't want them trying to protect her. Her eyes unfocused as she thought, roaming freely over the sun-dappled earth, tree trunks, leafy branches, Xaioh's hair, Liang's backside... She snapped back into focus when she realized she was staring, and she prayed no one had caught her at it. And Hotohori had been holding out for the Priestess, eh? Gods this was going to be difficult.

They walked until the sun started to sink towards the horizon. When they reached a small clearing, bare but for the sparse grass, Xaioh called a halt.

"We might as well rest here for the night. I doubt we'll find a better place to stop and build a fire."

"And eat?" Liang asked, looking hopefully at Houshun.

Riana winced inwardly. _And now my reign of terror over the helpless forest fauna begins..._

"Sure," Houshun replied. "Though I hope one of you knows how to dress kills. There I'm out of my depth." He dropped his pack on the ground and turned to his archery equipment.

"I'll go with you," Ryu-Sen offered as Houshun strung his bow. "I'm sure if I show you how to do it once, you'll be able to do it yourself after."

"Probably. Hopefully." He pulled on his arm guard and glove. "Just so long as no one asks me to cook, I don't much care."

Ji-Shin looked up. "Oh? And why is that?"

Houshun cast his eyes skyward. "You've never saw me try to cook." He shuddered violently. "Granted, if it comes out successfully it usually tastes okay, but...I screw up hard boiled eggs..." Digging into his pack, he pulled out his hunting knife and belted it around his waist.

"Oh, geez. Talk about hopeless!"

"I suppose you can do better, Liang?"

"Bandits look out for themselves."

Ryu-Sen grinned. "Funny, I half expected you'd just steal all the food you need."

"It'd still have to be cooked!"

"That's true." Houshun admitted. "Well, we'd best get going while there's enough light to shoot by." He slung his quiver onto his back, picked up his bow, and walked out of the clearing

As soon as she was out in the woods Riana felt immensely more relaxed. A gentle wind whispered through the trees, and the leaves softly brushing against each other was a soothing as a wind chime. Birds singing in the distance fell silent as she and Ryu-Sen approached, only to resume their melodies once the two had passed. It was peaceful, and for just a moment, life was perfect. She sighed. How long could it continue? And, the question hard on the heels of the first: how long could she hold up like this? She was used to spending nearly all of her time around other girls – usually the presence of guys made her all tongue-tied and shy, particularly if they were cute, or at least remotely interesting. The only thing keeping her going was how hard she was trying to really _become_ Houshun...

"Hey, are you okay?"

Houshun glanced up at Ryu-Sen. "What?"

Ryu-Sen watched him carefully. "You've been pretty out of it, today. Every time I look at you, you're just staring out into space. What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" He peered out into the woods under the pretense of finding game as he tried to think. "Nothing's wrong. Why would there be?"

_What did I say about not lying to my Seishi?_ Riana thought.

"Has anyone ever told you that you don't lie very well?" Ryu-Sen smirked.

That coaxed a small laugh out of Houshun. "Many, many times." Why did he have to be so damn observant?

"So, what's up?"

Houshun fingered his arm guard thoughtfully. What could he tell Ryu-Sen?  
"I – I can't stop thinking about what Liang said earlier. It feels like betrayal to force him to go through with this..." There. That was even the truth. Just not the _entire_ truth.

"First of all, don't worry about him. I know he talks tough, but as you saw, he's also incredibly emotional. Still..." Ryu-Sen shrugged. "He can handle it. Second, he would have wound up involved anyway, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it. We're drawn to you, as Suzaku's Chosen. So don't blame yourself."

Houshun sighed. He wasn't entirely convinced, but nodded anyway.

"What else is bothering you?"

"Does there have to be something else?"

Ryu-Sen though about that for a moment. "No, I suppose not."

"Alright then."

"But there is, isn't there."

Houshun slumped in defeat. "You're unbelievable."

"I know. Isn't it great?" Ryu-Sen sounded too cheerful to be sane.

"Watch it, or I'll smack you." Houshun noticed something that was obviously a deer trail and bent to examine it. He didn't really want to have to deal with a deer just yet, though.

"Well, you could try..." He sobered. "But really, Houshun, we're not just here to protect you, you know? Chichiri has – or had, anyway – some interesting theories about that which you might want to hear once we find him. We're all going to be working together for Suzaku only knows how long – we need to be able to talk to one another." A slight smile pulled at his lips. "You wanted to be part of the team, right? Well, that means more than just holding your own in battle."

"I guess so..."

The problem was, Riana didn't particularly _want_ to discuss the other issue, and wasn't sure how to talk about it without revealing who she was.

"Well... I've also been trying to think how we might find Chichiri, Mitsukake, and Tamahome – and weather or not we really need to worry about it – but..."

"Well, first of all Tamahome's already found. He's waiting for us in the capitol."

"Really? That's good to know."

Ryu-Sen nodded. "But?" he prompted.

Houshun shifted the bow and rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't take this the wrong way, but Xaioh is very distracting."

"I thought you weren't interested in guys?" Ryu-Sen shot a shrewd look at the Priest.

"I'm not." _Whoops, that's a lie, Ria, fix it. _"I'm not gay." Houshun was silent for a moment. Wisely, Ryu-Sen let him think. "It's like this... When people tell you that they think you're something you're not, you suddenly wind up paying far more attention to what you're doing, so that you don't do anything to make them continue to think you are what you're not. As a result you often wind up doing exactly what you're trying not to do." He blinked. "Shit. Did you get any of that?"

"Ah..."

"Let me put it this way: you suggested yesterday that I was homosexual, which I'm not. Consequently, I find myself trying very hard not to do anything that might make me appear so. Unfortunately, this has the exact opposite effect. I wind up taking more notice of Xaioh – and the rest of you – than I would have if I wasn't trying to prove that I'm straight. Was that better?"

"I think so..."

Houshun sighed, frustrated. "Okay. Don't think of a purple horse with blue spots."

Ryu-Sen looked at him like he thought his Priest had lost his senses. "What?"

"What was the first thing you thought of?"

"A purple horse with blue— Oh! I understand. Because you're trying so hard not to think or act in a certain way, that's exactly what you wind up doing."

"Precisely. It's bloody frustrating."

The Seishi smiled in sympathy. "I apologize. Had I known it would cause you so much trouble, I wouldn't have brought it up."

Houshun shrugged. "It's not your fault. I have nothing against homosexuals, really, but... I had a bad experience several years back, and now..." He shrugged again. "Well, I guess I just really resent being thought gay."

"Well, in that case, I'll try to keep the subject of your preferences from coming up again." Ryu-Sen grinned, then, and couldn't help but tease the poor Priest. "Although, I have to admit, if you ever change your mind, I'd have to consider taking to guys again. You're too cute."

Houshun smacked him in the back of the head hard enough to knock him face first to the ground.

It was another ten minutes or so before they finally saw anything worth trying to shoot. A rabbit was nibbling on some grass about ten yards ahead of them – just as they noticed it, it froze, turning its ears this way and that.

Very slowly, Houshun drew out an arrow, knocked it, then raised his bow. _I would kill for a sight, right now._ He drew the bow, anchoring his thumb against his jaw as he sighted down the arrow. Smoothly, he uncurled his fingers, loosing the arrow.

The rabbit leapt high into the air as the arrow thunked into the ground about three inches to its right. It tore off into the woods as fast as its furry feet could carry it.

Houshun lowered his bow with a disgusted sigh. "Damn."

"Well, did you really expect to hit something on your first try?" Ryu-Sen asked.

"Actually, yeah, I kinda did."

"Idiot."

Houshun raised a threatening fist.

"It won't work a second time, Houshun – you caught me off guard before." The Seishi grinned impishly.

"True."

"Still, it was a pretty good shot. Maybe next time."

Wincing, Houshin looked up at him. "I'd better! Otherwise Liang's gonna kill me when we come back empty handed!"

They didn't. His second attempt was successful, though it didn't kill the rabbit. The arrow went through its hip and pinned it to the earth, leaving it thrashing, spraying blood as it attempted to free itself.

"Oh gods..." Houshun approached it carefully, almost tenderly, and knelt beside it. Slowly, he drew his knife, but his hands were trembling terribly.

Ryu-Sen was quick to notice this. "Here, I'll do it. Then I'll show you how to dress it," he offered, holding out his hand for the knife.

Slowly, never once looking away from the struggling rabbit, Houshun shook his head. "I will finish what I started." Gently, he put his left hand on its head, stroking its ears a little. It stopped thrashing, but shook so badly it was a wonder its heart didn't stop, and looked up. Looking into those tiny, black eyes, Houshun pulled its ears back to raise its head and expose its neck. He took a firm grip on his knife, steeled himself, and slit its throat. The little creature convulsed once and went limp in his hand.

"My, you do have to do things the hard way, don't you?"

Houshun said nothing, just pulled his arrow out of the ground and the rabbit and wiped it on the grass to remove as much of the blood as he could.

"Houshun?" Still no answer. Ryu-Sen gave him a searching look, his violet eyes concerned. "You've never killed anything before, have you?"

"No." He looked at his hands, both of which were bloody and trembling. "Other than insects and the like, when they decided to come inside the house."

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine. Just show me what to do with this, then we'll se what else we can find." His voice was tight, but otherwise, he seemed fine. Ryu-Sen complied.

They found one more rabbit a short while later, and this time, Houshun's shot was true, killing it instantly. His relief was palpable. This time, Ryu-Sen watched while Houshun gutted and skinned it, discarding the offal and wrapping the meat in the skin to take it back.

"Well done! But I think we'd best get back, now." the Seishi said. "It's starting to get dark, and we're quite a ways from the camp."

Houshun nodded as he washed his hands, knife, and arrows in a nearby stream. "Hope someone knows how to make stew. There won't be enough for all of us, otherwise. These may have been good sized rabbits, but they're nowhere near enough for five people."

"It'll be fine."

It took them a few minutes to get their bearings, but in short order Houshun and Ryu-Sen had started back toward their camp. They struck a small dirt track, obviously rarely used, for there was a great deal of grass that had pushed its way through the packed earth. Hoping it would lead them back toward the road they'd traveled earlier, they followed. Just as the light was starting to dim to the point where such signs would be invisible, Ryu-Sen noticed the tracks of many booted feet crossing the path.

"Hold on, what's this?"

"Hm?" Houshun looked where Ryu-Sen indicated and frowned. "That's strange..." He peered out into the darkness in the direction the tracks went. "How old do you suppose these are?"

The Seishi crouched down to examine them better. "A few days at the most, I'd say. We'd best be more careful – the last thing we need is to run into a troop of bandits or something. Where are you going?"

Houshun had walked out into the woods, following the footprints. "There's more out here. Or, not more tracks, but... Well, come look."

As soon as he reached the Priest, he saw what the young man had meant. "They were chasing someone." The signs of a scuffle were obvious, even in the poor light.

Walking around the battle-scarred area, Houshun continued to scan for tracks, hoping to be able to tell if the victim, or victims, got away. He was just starting back toward Ryu-Sen when something half-hidden in the undergrowth caught his attention. Frowning, he went over and picked it up.

"Ryu-Sen."

"Huh? What'd you find?" He looked up and inhaled sharply.

It was a kasa. The woven hat was fairly battered, but there was no mistaking what it was.

"Oh, no..." Ryu-Sen took the kasa from Houshun and turned it over, examining it closely. "Where was it?" After closely scrutinizing the area where it had been, Ryu-Sen shrugged, and handed it back. "It seems ordinary enough. And there were no footprints around where you found it. From the looks of things, I'd say some traveler was waylaid by bandits and tried to fight back. It doesn't look like he succeeded, though."

Houshun looked at the conical hat. "You don't think..."

"Chichiri?" he asked, smiling. "I'd say it's unlikely. He has more sense than to get cornered by ordinary bandits, and even if he did, I doubt he'd leave his kasa lying around for days. Come on, let's get back and warn the others."

Houshun started to leave the kasa behind. With a shrug, he let it fall back to the ground and followed Ryu-Sen. However, he only took about two steps before glancing back at it. It had landed upside down, tipped sideways like an enormous top. With a sigh, he retrieved it and took it back to the camp. Whoever's it was, was probably no longer around to miss it.

The two rabbits turned out to be enough for a hearty stew. Ji-Shin had prepared the stock while they were out hunting, and expertly cut the rabbits into it to simmer until they were done. While it cooked, Ryu-Sen told the others about what they'd found.

"It is a good thing we have no valuables," Xaioh said when he'd finished. "Though they probably would not object to taking what little we have."

"Tch. Just let 'em try. They'll see what happens when they mess with Seishi!" Liang stood and waved his tessen dramatically.

Ji-Shin stirred the stew and checked the rabbit. "I'm glad it's not still just the two of us, eh, Houshuh? We probably would not have fared too well on our own." There was no response and the young Seishi looked over at him. Houshun had sat down against a tree as soon as he and Ryu-Sen had returned and hadn't moved since. Nor had he said a single word. He just sat, carefully weaving the fraying kasa back together. "Is he okay?"

Ryu-Sen smiled sadly. "He'll be all right."

Riana ate only lightly. All she could see when she looked at the stew was a tiny, black eye, staring up at her in terror. Nor, when she laid out her bedroll and crawled in, was she able to sleep. For a long time she lay there, thinking about what she had done. Part of her mind tried to tell her they were only rabbits, only rodents that could multiply like mad and make up for the two she'd killed in no time. The rest of her knew that even rodents were living creatures – everything had a soul. Then there was the idea of the unfortunate traveler, probably dead at the hands of thugs. His unhappy end brought into sharp focus the reality of her situation. None of this was a game. She could die just as easily. She reached out a hand and gently touched the rim of the kasa, praying he would forgive her for taking his hat. Gradually, it all became too much, and she curled up on her side and wept, trying her best to muffle her sobs in her blankets.

Xaioh, always a light sleeper, quietly sat up and looked over at Houshun. The boy had clearly been distressed since he'd returned, but the Seishi had no idea what could be wrong, or how to comfort him. Eventually Houshun quieted, having cried himself to sleep. Xaioh lay back down and stared up through the branches of the tree he was under, looking at the sky. He decided to say nothing of the youth's tears to the others.

--------

_Thank-yous are going down here from now on. Takes less time to get to the story that way. _

_**MegamiNoTsuki** - Thanks much! I'm glad you don't think it rushed. (The next additions will be soon, but then after that it will be a while before the last show up.) But the trauma is soon to begin. (Or would that be continue?)_

_Oh, and I tried to use more dialectical spelling for Tasuki's dialogue this time. I hope it worked. If not, let me know, and I'll change it back. Um, and they will start going by their Seishi names, eventually... Just not yet. Please R/R folks! Ja ne!_

Useful advice for everyone with temperamental muses. Don't upset them. Despite what I wrote at the beginning of this chapter, it took a great deal longer to write than I'd anticipated. Halfway though my muse deserted me. :sad: Fortunately, we are once again on speaking terms. 

_Muse: Just don't push your luck._

_Elwing: I'll behave, I promise._

_Muse: And stop calling me Muse! I have a name, you know._

_Elwing: (He's not always this testy either!) I know, but it would be kinda strange for eveyone else for me to call you by your real name. I mean – it's so normal! Not like what I usually come up with._

_Muse: That's because you didn't 'come up' with it. I told it to you._

_Elwing: Good point. Okay, everyone... My muse will from now on be referred to as Chris. His name is really Chris Hawthorne (strange, since I don't know anyone by that name, eh? He isn't a real person.). How he came to be my muse is a long story, but he did sort of tell me his name. He just showed up one day – one night, rather – in a dream I had, and has been haunting my stories ever since. I finally put him to work._

_Chris: :sarcastically: For which I'm eternally grateful!_

_Elwing: Oh, c'mon, you know you love it._

_Chris: ...yeah...but..._

_Elwing: He gets to breathe life into whatever male characters I happen to be working with. Though admittedly, his own personality is usually much more cheerful than this..._

_Chris: Grrr_

__


	5. Betrayal by Chi

Disclaimer: Well. :stacks two OVA series, four episodes, four CDs, seven manga, and several hundred image files into a pile: THIS :points: is all I own of Fushigi Yugi. Just this. And I don't own the rights to it. Just … the things themselves. :weeps profusely, wishing she had the money to own more than the measly little stack: Oh, and this. :pulls out a hand-made pillow with a picture of chibi Chichiri and Lai Lai on it: Betchya don't have one of THESE. :huggles pillow:

Note: I want to apologize for both the rather graphic nature of the last chapter and for Tasuki's language… Should have put some warning at the beginning, but I didn't think of it until now. So, maybe I should warn you now, there's a bit more of it in this chapter.

**Chapter 5: Betrayal by Chi **

Being on the track team at school, Riana had never thought of walking as hard work. Running ten miles in cross-country was hard work. But after spending day after day on her feet, she was getting tired. Granted, those first couple days, walking all night to reach that first village inside Hong-Nan and not getting to rest until the end of her first day traveling with Ji-Shin, had been the hardest. But a break, a single day of no walking, was sounding really, really good right about now. She prayed she wasn't the only one who thought so, because there was no way she would be the one to suggest it.

Watching Ji-Shin, she got the distinct impression she wasn't.

Nor was she the only one to notice the youngest Seishi's flagging spirits. Two days after Houshun's first successful hunting trip, in which time he'd killed two more rabbits and three squirrels, Xaioh called a halt early in the afternoon. Ji-Shin immediately plopped onto the ground and starting rubbing his calves and ankles. They hadn't been going very quickly, but would keep moving from the time they woke until they halted for the night with almost no stops. It wasn't the easiest pace in the world to keep up.

Xaioh watched him for a moment. "I think," he said at last, "it would be wise for us to stop for a while."

"Fer what, ten minutes?" Liang was apparently none too happy either.

Ryu-Sen shook his head. "I think he means more along the lines of for the day."

Houshun couldn't help it. He sighed with relief and leaned back against a tree. This pushed the kasa, which he had taken to wearing to keep off the sun, down over his face. "Thank you, Suzaku!"

Smiling, Xaioh shook his head. "Actually, I mean for the rest of today _and _tomorrow."

"Please tell me you aren't joking." Ji-Shin looked so hopeful it was almost comic.

"Not at all. I doubt our arriving in Eiyo a few days later would make much difference. It would give us all a chance to recover from the pace we have kept so far, and, if he is willing, perhaps tomorrow Houshun could try for some larger game. If we remain here until afternoon on the next day, that would give us time to prepare the meat so we can carry it with us."

Houshun hooked a thumb under the rim of the kasa and pushed it up to peer at Xaioh. "I think I could manage to find us a deer or something." After a moment's thought he shoved away from the tree and slung his pack to the ground. "Actually, if you guys want to start setting up camp, I'll go see what I can do about food right now."

"We prob'ly shouldn' camp here. We're gonna need water close by." Why did logic sound so surprising coming from Liang?

"Good point. You and I can see about finding a good site while he's hunting, and Xaioh and Ji-Shin can hold the fort here until we all get back."

"An excellent arrangement," Ji-Shin said, and flopped onto his back.

"Just be careful, you three," Xaioh warned. "We may still be in the territory of those bandits."

Houshun sketched a cheery salute, gathered up his hunting gear and a coil of rope, and headed out into the woods.

Two hours later, Riana was standing over the body of an enormous stag, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do now. She couldn't carry the thing, and wasn't even sure she had the strength to drag it very far. Trying to remember what she had seen her father do when he'd still hunted, she lashed its legs together and threw the rope over a high tree branch. She then hauled on the rope, practically lifting herself off the ground in her attempts to raise the stag. No luck. It weighed more than she did.

Attempting to remember the laws of physics and simple machines didn't help much either. That had not been her best subject. Finally, she tried looping the rope under an exposed root, allowing her to pull up on the rope instead of down. Bracing her feet against the root, she gripped the rope near the ground and pushed herself upright, using her thighs instead of her arms, bringing the rope with her. This was far more effective. It took a while, but she finally raised the deer completely off the ground. Now she would be able to gut it more easily.

Once that was accomplished, she went back to the rope and pulled the stag even higher, until it was above her head. This served the dual purpose of letting the blood run out and, hopefully, putting it above the reach of most ground scavengers. There wasn't much she could do about birds. She buried the entrails a good distance away from her kill and headed back to find the others and get some help carrying the carcass.

By the time she figured out which direction to go and made it back, she had killed three rabbits for dinner. Liang and Ryu-Sen had returned over an hour ago, and when they saw Houshun carrying only three rabbits, Liang immediately started snickering.

"We've been waitin' all this time fer _that_? Shit, man…couldn' ya find anythin' a little bigger?"

Houshun just smiled and handed the rabbits over to Ji-Shin, who'd become their unofficial cook. "These are for tonight. Ryu-Sen, could you come with me? I have a project requiring your particular…strengths."

"Oh? Alright."

He followed Houshun back to where the deer hung. Houshun laughed, watching Ryu-Sen's violet eyes grow hugely round as he started up at the thing.

"Well now I see why you wanted my help. This is one big deer. How the heck did you get it up there?"

"It wasn't easy, that's for sure." Houshun rubbed his lower back and stretched a little. "I'm probably going to be sore in the morning."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Here, let's get this guy down." Ryu-Sen pulled on the rope to give Houshun enough slack to untie it, then lowered it carefully to the ground. He eyed the carcass, his lips curled just slightly in disgust. "This is really going to mess up my clothes."

Houshun fell over where he had bent to untie the stag's legs. How could he be so damn concerned with his appearance when they were out in the middle of nowhere? "Gods, Ryu-Sen, just carry the blasted thing already. There's a stream near our camp, right? You can soak the blood off as soon as we get there."

He tipped his purple head and considered this. "True." And he slung the dead deer up over one shoulder as if it weighed no more than a rag doll. Houshun just stared for a moment, then followed numbly after him.

The clearing Liang and Ryu-Sen had chosen for their campsite was a little glade a stone's throw away from a small, clear stream. A fire pit in the center of the area gave evidence to its being used by travelers in the past – something Ryu-Sen mentioned had influenced their choice. If it commonly hosted travelers, then it must be a fairly safe location. Houshun wasn't so certain, but with the forest being rather sparse around the clearing, they wouldn't need to be concerned about ambush. He held his tongue.

While Ji-Shin roasted the rabbits and some of the venison, Ryu-Sen and Liang cut the rest of the meat into thin strips. Xaioh hung these on a long stick over a larger fire than their cooking fire, allowing the meat to slowly cook and dry. Houshun, having begged off anything arduous after his hunting, merely tended the two fires, making sure their jerky was thoroughly smoked. They would allow that fire to burn throughout the night, and for the first time set night watches, so as not to accidentally burn the forest down.

After dinner they drew lots on watches and laid out their bedrolls. Purple dusk faded into blue-black night as the stars appeared overhead. There was little conversation; everyone just wanted to sleep. Houshun sat near the fire – he had drawn first watch – and stared up at the sky. A sigh of deep contentment escaped his lips.

"The stars just aren't like this at home."

Behind him, Ryu-Sen muttered an incoherent reply, but the others were asleep. Houshun arched an eyebrow, smiling a little.

A breeze picked up, tapping Riana's shoulder as she turned her attention skyward again. First was the easiest watch, in her opinion. The fire wouldn't need too much tending at this point, and though she was fully as tired as her Seishi, she couldn't bring herself to think of sleep just yet. Though that would probably change in a couple hours.

She decided to risk letting her hair down for a bit while the others slept. Fetching a comb from her pack, she unbound her bun and gently began straightening the twisted mess, wincing every time something touched her scalp. _I need to take this bun out more often – maybe then it wouldn't hurt so badly._ Gradually the pain eased, and soon her hair hung in its usual ordered waves to her waist. The wind felt wonderful, running its ethereal fingers through the soft strands.

Fortunately, no clouds hid the stars, so she was able to gauge fairly accurately the length of her watch. But its ending presented a different sort of difficulty. Liang had the next watch. She knew from watching Ryu-Sen wake him in the mornings that it was not an enviable – or safe – task. After a few moments' quiet consideration, Riana fetched a stick from the pile of firewood.

From about three feet away, Houshun prodded Liang sharply in the back with a branch. Liang twitched violently, but didn't wake. Another poke. The Seishi grumbled in his sleep, a long, low growl. Houshun sighed in disgust. This time he brought the stick down sharply on the side of Liang's head with just enough force to hurt. Liang swarmed out of his bedroll, flailing in all directions. He managed to catch the branch, and swung it blindly in a glancing blow to Houshun's face. Houshun bit back a yelp, afraid they would wake the others.

"Liang, wake up!" he hissed.

Liang froze, and finally took stock of his surroundings. When his eyes fell on Houshun, his jaw dropped. "Who th' hell are you?"

"Who – what?" He stared at the Seishi, momentarily at a complete loss. _Oh…the hair, of course. That would confuse him, wouldn't it?_ "Liang, it's me. You have next watch, remember?"

"_Houshun?_"

He nodded, feeling like he was dealing with a small child. "Quiet down or you'll wake everyone."

"Right, right." Glancing suspiciously at his Priest, he made his way over to sit near the fire. "Damn. With that hair, man, ya look just like a girl…"

Houshun snorted. "Why do you think I keep it tied up?"

"You should cut it or somethin'. It's worse than Xaioh's!"

_Worse how? _"Drop it, Liang." Houshun sat on his bedroll and twisted his long hair back up into its knot. Then he pulled out a cloth and dabbed it against the gash running down his left cheekbone.

"What the hell d'ya do to yer face?"

"Liang?" Houshun said as he curled into his bedroll.

"What?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Riana woke early the next morning and lay staring up at the trees for several minutes. Something had woken her, but she couldn't sense anything. She rolled over, expecting to see Xaioh sitting near the fire – he had the morning watch – but he wasn't there. Frowning, she sat up and looked around. Xaioh sat on a fallen log to one side of their camp, staring, not at the fire he was to be tending, but out into the woods. Something in his expression frightened her. He looked darkly troubled, and briefly she struggled with the impulse to go put an arm around his shoulders and find out what was wrong. For the first time, she found it terribly difficult to maintain her disguise. After a moment of intense concentration, it was Houshun who finally walked over to the Seishi. 

He crouched beside Xaioh. "What is it?"

Poor Xaioh nearly leapt right out of his skin. "Brightest Suzaku – don't _do_ that!"

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were that focused." He joined Xaioh on the log and rested his elbows on his knees. "Is something out there?"

Running a hand through his chestnut hair, still trying to collect himself, Xaioh didn't answer right away. "I am not certain," he said at last. "Something caught my attention about an hour ago, but there has been no sign of anything since. Still…listen."

Houshun complied. "I don't hear anything."

"Precisely. No birds, no squirrels chittering, no insects – nothing."

"Too quiet, you mean."

Xaioh nodded.

Blood pounded loudly in Riana's ears and slowly turned to ice in her veins as she strained her ears for any wisp of sound. He was right – there had never yet been a morning that she wasn't awakened by the morning birds long before it was actually time to get up. But not today.

Slowly, Houshun stood and retrieved his bow. He left it unstrung, but returned to sit watch with Xaioh until the others woke.

The silence broke after a short while, however. Whatever caused it must have moved on. Feeling somewhat silly, Houshun stoked the smoke-fire, rekindled the dinner-fire, and put some water on to boil for morning tea. Neither he nor Xaioh mentioned their early-morning paranoia to the other Seishi, and if the two of them were a little more alert than usual, no paid enough notice to mention it.

Breakfast was leftover rabbit stew – of which there was quite a bit, since most of them had opted for venison last night – and Ji-Shin was bold enough to be the first to taste the dried venison. He pronounced it quite good, and dry enough to last them at least until they reached the capitol without spoiling. Liang put out the large fire, added the larger partially-burned logs to their wood-pile, and buried the rest of the ashes. While he took care of the fire, the others bound the strips of meat together with twine, wrapped them in some thin cloth Ryu-Sen and Xaioh had left from several rolls of cheese they had bought on the way out of the capitol, and stowed them in their packs. That finished, the five of them were finally able to relax for a bit. Being able to just sit around and wait for lunchtime came as an immense relief. Houshun pulled the kasa over his head for a brief doze.

But the peace was not to last.

A distant, shrill scream interrupted their lunch. For maybe three heartbeats everyone froze, heads turned toward the sound. Liang and Ryu-Sen took off, heedless of Xaioh's shout for caution. Houshun was half a second behind his Seishi, slinging himself into his quiver and grabbing his bow before darting out of the clearing.

"Stay here!" he called over his shoulder to Ji-Shin. Xaioh, he knew, would follow.

The wind whistled in the kasa as Houshun ran, and he spared a thought to wonder that it didn't fall off. He quickly caught up with Ryu-Sen. "Liang?" he asked.

"Went ahead."

"How far?"

"Not very. When we get there, find a tree and stay out of danger."

Houshun grunted assent and focused on running. Running and talking used too much air.

The clash of weaponry soon reached his ears, punctuated by a woman's sobs and Liang's swearing. Ryu-Sen grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him toward the nearest tree. Unable to suppress a surge of annoyance at his Seishi's protectiveness, Houshun complied with the wordless order. Stowing his bow, he clambered quickly up the trunk, positioning himself so he could both see and shoot clearly.

What Riana saw, was a mess.

From the look of things, a troop of bandits had attacked the wagon of a woman and her teenage son. The boy was on the ground, apparently unconscious, his leg bent at a terrible angle, while his mother crouched over him, a long knife held steadily in her bony hands. Liang stood between them and about fifteen burly miscreants, doing a fairly good job of keeping the men from their prey. Some ignored him completely, deciding instead to loot the wagon while their fellows took care of the lone defender.

Not lone for long. Ryu-Sen burst into the fray from the opposite side, driving the bandits away from the wagon. His appearance scattered them, and being attacked on two sides made it difficult for them to regroup. But there were still too many well-trained fighters for even three Seishi to tackle alone.

As Xaioh entered the battle, blade flashing, Riana sighted along her arrow and began picking off the enemy. She wasn't as accurate as she'd hoped – the animals she'd killed for their dinners had been mostly stationary, which these rouges most certainly weren't.

But the arrow that pierced the earth right between Ryu-Sen's feet wasn't hers. Startled, she scanned the trees for the enemy archer. He got off three more shots before she could locate him, and it took four arrows to finally bring him down. She was running out of arrows, and more bandits were pouring into the clearing. Cursing, she dropped out of the tree and skirted around the edge of the battle, reemerging near where the woman and boy lay.

Three bandits charged her at once. The first she first she dropped with an arrow buried in his eye, but the others were coming on fast. The second carried an enormous broadsword and swung to take her head – and would have, if she hadn't at that moment crouched to retrieve her dagger from her boot. She saw his guard open and lunged upward, but he made a backswing, lower this time. His blade cut into her shoulder. Had it been his foreswing, he might still have killed her, but the backswing lacked power.

Fighting the sudden wave of pain, Riana buried her knife to the hilt in his throat.

But now she was weaponless, and third man carried no weapons – he was trained in hand-to-hand. His fist slammed into her jaw, and she stumbled backwards into a tree, smacking her head off the solid trunk. The stars cleared just in time for her to see him reaching for her throat, but not soon enough to stop him.

As she began to struggle for air, a hand materialized beside her right eye and slammed into the ruffian's nose with a sharp crack. Roaring in pain and surprised, he momentarily released her. Riana slumped forward, too relieved to be able to breathe to think of running, and he lunged at her again. This time, two hands appeared, catching the bandit's fists inches from her face.

"Untie the kasa," said a voice in her ear.

She obeyed, and the hat fell to the ground behind her. She could feel someone standing there, now, and stepped out from between his arms. A brief glance at her rescuer revealed – unsurprisingly – a blue-haired man in monk's garb. The bandit was quickly overcoming his surprise at the newcomer's mode of appearance, and his superior strength would soon have the smaller man at a disadvantage if Riana didn't do something. She pulled her last arrow from her quiver and didn't even bother putting it to her bow. Griping it like a dagger, she thrust it into the bandit's near eye.

Silence spread throughout the forest. Riana looked around. Her Seishi stood panting, looking somewhat haggard, but none were seriously hurt. What bandits who weren't dead had fled at the loss of their leader, now laying headless at Xaioh's feet. She had a bad moment upon seeing that corpse, imagining herself in its place, but her throat hurt badly and distracted her.

For some time Riana concentrated very hard on breathing.

A hand gently brushed her elbow, making her jump, though she managed to swallow a rather undignified shriek. She whirled, meeting a pair of startled mahogany eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

Chichiri's eyes held her transfixed, and she once again had to remind herself to breathe. _Eyes,_ she thought. _Two. Plural. God bless Suzaku for that kindness._ She had to wonder if that thought was heretical, or blasphemous, and if so, to whom? But she hoped the intact pair of eyes indicated that his life had not been so traumatic, this time. She nodded slowly, glancing away.

"Are you alright, Priestess?"

Again she nodded. Her brain was not working properly. The clash of swords was still in her ears, the smell of blood clogged her nose, and something about his words was strange.

He raised his eyebrows a fraction. Ria felt something drip off the end of one finger, and realized she couldn't move her left hand. Or arm. Looking down, she noticed with some surprise that her hand was covered in blood. The blood reminded her of _why_ she couldn't move her arm, and she cringed.

"Ow."

Now that it had her attention, the wound on her shoulder began to hurt unbearably, as though making up for those minutes where her battle-fogged mind refused to process the pain.

"Here, let me have a look."

As he moved to examine her injury, her brain began to work a little more, and she pulled away. "No, I'm alright. I can wait. The boy…" She nodded to where the woman still knelt by her son. Neither had moved throughout the conflict. Riana smiled wanly at Chichiri. "He needs more help than I do."

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then started to say something, but was interrupted by a girl running into the clearing.

"Mom! Mom, I found him!" The child skidded to a halt next to her mother and stared, wide-eyed, at the men around them.

"You were supposed to stay in the village," the woman scolded halfheartedly, enfolding her daughter in a tight embrace.

"But I had to show him where to go!"

A tall, broad-shouldered man followed the girl to her brother's side, completely ignoring everyone but the patient, until Ryu-Sen said, "Well. This is convenient."

The man's head snapped up, and he blinked at the violet-haired Seishi. "Nuriko…" His voice was surprisingly deep. He looked around at the rest of them, much as the girl had done.

Xaioh smiled and nodded. "Later," he said. "Help the boy, first."

Mitsukake snorted with a touch of contempt. "Of course."

While her newest Seishi went about setting and healing the boy's leg, Riana started to look around for her arrows. She found the two she had used last easily enough, and, ignoring the concerned looks Chichiri gave her, she went about removing them from the heads of their victims. It was an awkward business, having only one hand to use, but she managed. However, she rather doubted she had the strength to collect them all, so she decided to retrieve her dagger and leave the rest for later.

She stepped around the bandit at her feet and walked over to the one who had tried to behead her. Because of the direction of her lunge, the dagger was buried more under his chin than actually in his throat, and she noted with morbid fascination that she could see the blade in the bandit's mouth. Her stomach lurched. Ignoring it, she pulled her knife from its macabre sheath. She couldn't keep herself from looking at the blade in his half-open mouth, and watching as it slid free. But the sickening squelch as the tip of the blade left the skull was too much.

Riana stumbled backwards from the corpse, her right hand clapped tightly over her mouth. Attempting to steady her stomach with deep, calm breaths didn't help, either. The smell of blood surged into her nostrils and caught in her throat with a metallic tang. Discarding all attempts at dignity, she fled, hoping she could make it to the stream before her stomach gave up the fight to retain lunch.

* * *

Chichiri watched her go, wanting to follow, but uncertain she would welcome the intrusion right now. She'd tried so hard to hold together. But she shouldn't be alone, particularly with that injury. With a sigh, he picked up his kasa, then looked to see if any of the others intended to follow the Priestess. 

Tasuki and Nuriko had started trying to fix the wagon, and Hotohori was helping Mitsukake tend the boy. Nuriko looked over at Chichiri and smiled, but it looked strained.

"Welcome back."

Chichiri looked around at the dead bandits. "Thanks." His eyes again traveled to the path the Priestess had taken. "Should I…?"

Nuriko followed his gaze. "Yeah, you should probably go after him. I'm fairly sure this was his first battle, and I know he's never killed anyone."

_Him? His?_ Chichiri blinked at Nuriko, bewildered. Why did they think she was male?

"I'd go, but we have our hands pretty full here…" He ducked a plank Tasuki was trying to set in place. "Houshun's a good kid; he'll probably pull together pretty fast."

Feeling very confused, Chichiri started after the Priestess – Priest? Complete, mind-numbing confusion had become rather unfamiliar to him lately, and he couldn't help but find his reaction to it somewhat amusing.

* * *

Riana made it to the stream – mostly. She stumbled on the smooth stones of the bank and landed on her hands and knees at the water's edge, sending a shockwave of pain through her left shoulder and pushing her roiling stomach out of her control. She vomited up what felt like everything she'd eaten for the past month into the stream; at least, she tried to lean over the stream, but couldn't quite get far enough, so it splattered the bank as well. Even after her stomach was empty she couldn't stop retching. She felt she would turn herself inside out if she couldn't stop. 

She was too weak to even raise her head as she heard soft footsteps approaching, but the damp cloth laid on the back of her neck and the cool hand against her forehead helped her dry heaving to finally cease. Another cloth wiped her face. After a few quiet moments she carefully stood, her knees shaking and barely able to hold her, and went upstream a bit, supported by a gentle hand under her right arm. Collapsing beside the water again, she rinsed out her mouth and washed off her arms. Then, her strength deserted her completely, and she sagged against her human crutch.

As her body quieted, she realized she was being spoken to, and probably had been for some time, though she hadn't noticed until now. As though waking up, she only caught the very end of the question.

"…any better?"

"What?" she croaked, and winced. Her voice sounded terrible. She coughed, trying to clear her throat.

"Careful. Just relax." She was still for several long moments before he repeated his first question. "Do you feel any better?"

"I guess so." Riana's voice sounded better on a second attempt. "I can't throw up any more, at any rate."

"Can you sit?"

She moved away from him slightly, until she was sitting without support. Her head started spinning the moment she moved.

"That's what I thought. Let's get that wound bandaged – it's part of what's making you nauseous."

Though she had been unable to turn her head to see the speaker, she wasn't surprised, when he crossed in front of her to examine her left shoulder, to see that it was Chichiri who had followed her. She watched out of the corner of his eye as he leaned partway into his kasa and emerged with a roll of clean bandages. He then gently tore away the sleeve of her tunic. She winced, remembering Leng-Si's kindness in giving her the spare clothing. At least this was the brown set.

He used the cloth which had been on her neck to clean the cut, rinsing it frequently in the stream. "Well," he said, in the same tone he might have used to discuss the weather, "he did quite a job here. This is actually worse than it looks."

Riana was trying not to flinch away from the pressure of the rag, and it took a moment for his words to register. She frowned. "I really didn't need to know that."

She thought she saw him smile but couldn't be sure, and he said nothing. The silence persisted for several minutes, while he finished washing her wound. At last she sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

He didn't seem the least bit offended. "Not a problem. Under the circumstances, you have every right to be tetchy."

That wasn't quite the response she'd expected. She fought the nausea and pain to turn her head just enough to look at him. He was definitely smiling. But it was a small smile, like he was laughing at some private joke. _He's teasing me…_ Somehow, that was as surprising as anything that had happened today. Well, what goes around, comes around. "So, doc, am I going to live?"

Briefly, Chichiri's eyes flickered to her face, and his smile widened a little more. "Oh, I think you might. This is going to hurt, now," he added as he started bandaging the deep cut.

"Because it didn't before? How bad is it, exactly?"

"The cut goes to the bone. If we didn't have Mitsukake…"

"Go on."

"Well, you'd probably lose your arm."

She'd been right the first time. She didn't need to know.

After a few minutes he sat back. "That should see you through the night. I'd use my own healing spell, but it wouldn't work as well or as quickly as Mitsukake's gift. Then tomorrow he would have to muddle through my spell, possibly making his less effective."

She touched her bandaged shoulder. "I can wait. Thank you."

He waved a hand dismissively. "I was not about to let you sit there and bleed to death."

Ria stared at him. Having only just met the man, she could say with almost complete certainty that he was the most confusing person she had ever met.

"But while we're on the subject," he added, "what happened here?" He tapped the bandages around her upper torso, visible under her arm now she lacked a sleeve.

"What happened…?" She felt the blood drain from her face as her thoughts ground to a halt.

"Priestess," there was no humor in Chichiri's voice, now. She realized that it was his calling her 'Priestess' earlier that had struck her as so strange, only her overtaxed brain hadn't caught it. "Why the deception?"

She didn't know what to say. Turning away, she stared sadly at the stream for several minutes, watching the water run away over the smooth stones, wishing she could escape as easily. To buy herself time to decide how to answer him, she asked, "How did you know?"

"Your chi," he replied, simply. When she blinked at him in surprise, he continued. "A woman's chi and a man's are fundamentally different. Granted, there are some individuals who are so perfectly balanced it's difficult to determine their gender, and some men and women whose chi is just the opposite." For a moment he paused, thoughtful. "But a man with feminine chi still comes across differently."

"A mage and a chi-sensor."

"And a priest, of a sort. Never hurts to branch out."

"They're intrinsically similar, I would think."

"True."

Riana had stalled long enough. After another short pause in which she collected her thoughts, she did her best to explain her actions. "There were two reasons. The biggest…we have a story in my world about Miaka's time as the Priestess. I didn't want… I don't want everyone risking themselves for my sake. As a male, I thought I might be allowed the opportunity to prove I could look after myself. Or at the very least be permitted to pull my own weight rather than standing back while everyone else rushed into danger…" Lightly, she brushed her fingers over her left shoulder. "I'd been doing well until this."

"You did very well, despite that." Silence stretched between them again, uncomfortable, but she waited for him to go on. "Miaka felt much the same way you do. She wasn't much of a fighter, but had the most amazing luck."

_I could do with a little more luck, I think. Although, as easily as all the Seishi have come together, I shouldn't complain…_

"Two reasons, you said. What was the other?"

Haltingly, she told him of her arrival in Qu-Dong, the man who attacked her, and the help Leng-Si had given her. The disguise had been a way to travel in relative safety. She hadn't revealed herself to Ji-Shin because she hadn't known at first that he was Chiriko, and feared to trust him.

Chichiri looked thoughtful as he stared out into the woods across the stream. "And then you met Nuriko and learned you're the Priestess…"

Nodding, she said, "I certainly didn't stay disguised because I feared the Seishi." She frowned slightly. "At least, I don't think I did."

At that, a smile ghosted across his features again. Ria watched as he stood and retrieved his kasa, sighing a little at its slightly battered appearance. "This has seen better days," he said. The change of subject startled her, but she continued to stare at him. Looping the string over his head, he hung the hat behind him. At last he looked down at her, and his eyes were kind. She held her breath, but again, he surprised her. "You'll have to tell Mitsukake, or he might give you away."

* * *

Windborn: Well, I was going to try to go farther than this, here, but it seems to want to stop at this point. :shrug: At any rate, my muse is back from his vacation… (Seems he stayed in New Zealand a lot longer than I did! Fortunately, that also improved his temper.) 

Chris-muse:sheepish: I was being abused, sorry… You wrote about five thousand words in one night!

Windborn: True, my fault, there. Procrastination is an evil thing. Note – when you have a ten to fifteen thousand word novel opening due, don't wait until the night before to do most of it.

Chris:sweatdrops: It does make life difficult on this end.

Windborn:huggles muse: Sorry.

On another bright note, I can finally stop referring to the capitol as "the capitol," thank heaven. Why I could never remember Eiyo I don't know, but I couldn't. I won't forget this time. Ja, y'all! Please Review, even if just to tell me it's awful (which I deeply hope it ISN'T!)

Also, I apologize if the "Miko disguised as a male" has become cliché… It wasn't when I first thought this story up three years ago. It just took me so long to get that first chapter posted… :shrugs: But there you are.


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